A Son Found
by aelitaheiderich
Summary: When Laufey sees Loki's arm turn blue during the battle on Jotunheim, he realizes just who he is and decides that he will have his son back. Forced to stay on Jotunheim, Loki isn't sure what to do...but he knows he doesn't want to stay there! JotunLoki fic!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I am relatively new to this fandom, so a lot of what I write won't be strictly "canon." There's a lot I don't know, but when I saw the movie "Thor," I couldn't help but think "what if...?" Anyway, I hope that if you read this, you like it!

Chapter 1

Adrenalin from the battle was pumping through Loki's veins and making his blood sing when in the middle of it, the Frost Giant known as Laufey grabbed Loki's arm so tightly that he couldn't pull away. Ice shot through him, freezing him in place and he stared in horror as his skin changed from its usual tone to a frosty gray-blue. His mind shuddered to a halt and refused to take in or accept what he was seeing. How had Laufey done it? Why? What would the point be of making his arm look like…look like…?

Laufey saw it, too. He looked from Loki's arm to his face and back again and actually gave a smile. A chuckle followed, chilling Loki to his core.

Loki looked from his arm to Laufey's face. What the blazes was going on?

Laufey's grip on his arm tightened almost to the point of pain, and Laufey turned and shouted an order in the Jotun language to his fellow warriors. One of them shouted back a confirmation and then Loki was swept off of his feet, one arm around Loki's waist and the other still holding his wrist, and then Laufey was running, carrying Loki away from the battle.

"Stop!" Loki shouted. "What are you doing? Let go! THOR!"

"LOKI!" Thor shouted, giving chase. He didn't get far, though. Two Frost Giants rushed his brother, blocking Thor from reaching him. That was the last thing Loki saw before Laufey rounded a bend and the shards of ice that covered Jotun's surface got in the way.

The ice forest was a maze. Within three or four turns within it, Loki couldn't tell which way they'd come from or how to get back to the battle. Frantic now, Loki called on his illusions, calling up snakes and scorpions and fire and…

Laufey howled and dropped him. Loki scrambled away, his feet slipping on ice and frozen rock. He rounded a corner, caught himself on a shard of ice when he slipped, and kept running. They hadn't gone that far…he had to be able to make his way back!

He rounded another corner and slammed right into Laufey's chest hard enough to make himself see stars and stun his breathing. Fighting for air, Loki crumpled to the ground, scrabbling away as quickly as his body would let him.

He didn't get far. Laufey grabbed him by his shoulders and lifted him close to his face. Up close, Laufey looked even more menacing.

"Do that again, and I'll use my bow on your back, little prince," Laufey threatened. "We do not have time for your tricks. Do you understand?"

Struggling with the urge to scream for help, Loki nodded.

Again, there was that odd smile. Laufey settled Loki on his hip as he would a child and began running again, jogging with an easy lope that ate up the distance. Loki tried his best to hold on and to quell his stomach, which the motion did nothing to help. At that moment, he regretted everything he'd ever done that could have led to this. What was he going to do? How was he going to escape? Would he even be alive when the day was done?

They exited the ice maze and entered an open plain, where several Jotuns stood with odd, fur-covered beasts. They looked…almost like horses, but at the same time, not. Without a word, Laufey handed Loki to one of the other Jotuns, mounted one of the beasts, and then took Loki back. He settled him on the saddle in front of him and took up the reins. "Hold onto the saddle horn in front of you," Laufey instructed. "We have a fast ride in front of us."

"Why…" Loki choked out. "Where are we…?"

Laufey kicked the beast into motion and they bounded away over the plain, heading for the mountains. It _was_ a fast ride, very fast, and Loki felt the cold air sting his eyes. Between the jouncing he was experiencing in the saddle and the freezing air flaying his face, he felt as if he couldn't get a deep breath.

He didn't know how long the ride lasted, but once they reached the foothills of the mountains, they slowed, and there was an actual road instead of the uneven ground of the plains. Riding the beast on a road was little better than across the plains, but thankfully, it seemed they were reaching their destination. Up ahead was a large settlement, with houses, temples, and beyond them, a fortress. Loki had a sudden sinking feeling that they were headed straight for it.

He was right. They rode straight through the town and into the courtyard of the fortress. Laufey jumped from his steed, plucked Loki from the saddle, and stormed toward the doors. He burst through them like a whirlwind, shouting the names of…servants?...and then headed for the stairs on the far side of the hall. Up the stairs, down a hallway, and into a large room lit by skylights. Laufey roared for someone, who came scrambling from behind a shelf and Laufey issued an order that Loki didn't understand. The other Jotun nodded and led them through another door, which led to...something. It was a long platform, as tall as the tallest Jotun and twice as wide. Pillars of ice at each of the platform's four corners glinted in the torchlight, and for a moment, Loki thought he saw something move in them. He didn't get long to examine them, though. Laufey carried him to the platform and stretched him out on it, on his back.

For a second, Loki felt as if torture was imminent. Wasn't that what people did when they tortured others, lay them down on a table and then go to work? To his surprise, though, Laufey simply laid him down and stepped back. The platform and pillars lit up with a ghostly blue light and the other Jotun examined a panel in the wall.

Laufey began to pace as glyphs and symbols covered the panel. Finally, he growled, "WELL?"

The Jotun turned and looked at Laufey. "You were right, sire. He is."

Laufey let out an ear-splitting roar, which made Loki curl up and clap his hands over his ears. Here it was, he was going to be killed...Something warm and wet made him pull his hands away, leaving a large smear of blood on his face. He looked at his hands and remembered catching himself on something when he'd run from Laufey.

Laufey saw the blood. "Where are you injured?"

"Why do you care?" Loki answered, forgetting momentarily just who was asking. When Laufey snarled at him, he remembered. "Ah, my hand..."

The other Jotun reached under Loki's shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position before taking Loki's injured hand in his. A deep gash ran across the palm and it was still bleeding sluggishly. He turned away, filled a bowl with water from a jug and returned with the bowl and a clean bit of cloth. "Sire, may tend to his hand?"

"Better you than me; you've the training for it. Hurry up," Laufey snapped. Then, he looked at Loki. "Are you injured anywhere else? Your mother will have my guts for garters if you're truly hurt."

What did Frigga have to do with Laufey? Although, now that he thought about it, Laufey's description was spot-on. Frigga was most likely going to slaughter both of her sons for getting into this mess. He wasn't looking forward to it, but being at home and having her raging at him for being a bone-headed idiot would be a thousand times better than being in Laufey's hands. "No, I'm fine. Just my hand."

Loki stayed seated on the platform while the healer washed his injured hand, dried it, covered the injury with a cream, and then bandaged it. Once that was finished, the healer provided a damp towel for him to clean the blood from his skin. He started to hand the towel back to the healer when Laufey snatched it and swiped it over Loki's cheek again, and then the back of his hand. "You missed some."

"Um...th-thank you," Loki stammered. It was an odd thing for a Frost Giant to do. It was so odd that Loki began to feel as if the whole situation were not quite real. What in the name of the Nine Realms was going on?

Laufey lifted him from the platform and carried him to the door without a word of thanks for the Jotun healer. Laufey began stalking down the hallway and Loki squirmed in his grip.

"Stop that," Laufey told him.

"I'm not a child; I can walk," Loki reminded him. "Put me down, and I'll walk. I won't run from you."

Laufey set him on his feet, but still kept hold of his shoulders. He knelt down so that they were eye-to-eye. "Will you promise to cast no illusions in an attempt to get away?"

 _That would be worth not being carried like a child,_ Loki reflected, and he nodded. "I promise."

Laufey released him and then took Loki's uninjured hand, leading him down the hall.

"You don't have to hold my hand, either," Loki stated as Laufey pulled him along. "I won't run from you."

Laufey didn't answer and kept going. Despite Loki's protests, he kept hold of the smaller Asgardian's hand, leading him down the hall and to the stairs. Then, Loki found a bit of a stumbling block: the stairs were built for Jotuns, not Asgardians. He was too small to walk down them comfortably, or safely. Before he could ask Laufey to stop, Laufey simply bent down and scooped Loki up to carry him down the stairs.

 _Well, walking was short-lived,_ Loki thought with a sigh. At least Thor wasn't here to see him being carried like a child and then tease him about it. Thinking about his brother made him worry, though. Was Thor all right? Had he been injured? Had their father found out what they'd done?

They reached the bottom of the stairs and moved out into the great hall of the fortress, and suddenly Loki found himself praying that the floor would open up under him and swallow him whole. The room was packed with Frost Giants. Some were in battle gear, others formal dress, and they were all staring at him. Laufey shouted something to them and they shouted back, deafening him. He winced and wished that he were anywhere else but where he was. He was outnumbered...seriously outnumbered...how was he going to get out of this?

Laufey carried him toward the throne and deposited him in a Jotun-sized wooden chair beside it. He took his seat while the rest of his court watched, and as soon as Laufey was seated, the court began to relax. They began to mill about and chat, their voices harsh to Loki's ears. Occasionally one among their number would glance at him and then look away, but whenever that happened, Loki felt as if the whole room were looking at him. He didn't like it.

Loki glanced at Laufey. Why had Laufey brought him here? Why wasn't he locked up in a dungeon somewhere? Why was he being kept here in the great hall, in the middle of the Jotun court?

The doors to the hall opened and a Jotun woman rushed in, heading straight for Laufey. She stumbled to a halt when she saw Loki. She looked from Laufey to Loki and back again, and then asked Laufey a question in Jotun. Gravely, Laufey nodded. She immediately hid what she was feeling and went to the smaller matching throne at Laufey's side, glancing at Loki from where she sat.

Loki shifted on his seat and contemplated how far he was from the ground. If he was fast...could he make it to the door?

Something in the air shifted around him, making him feel as if he'd been enclosed in a bubble. Startled, he looked at Laufey.

"Your thoughts were showing on your face, little one," he said, actually sounding amused. "You won't be going anywhere. I have a strong feeling that the All Father himself is on the way."

Loki told himself not to panic. Surely the fact that he was okay would help ameliorate Odin's anger at their actions. A father would be relieved to see his son unharmed, wouldn't he? He leaned back in his chair and waited. As he sat there, the cold in the room made itself felt and it wasn't long before he started shivering. He was colder than he could ever remember being. He was so cold that it was almost painful. If his father didn't get there soon, he would be spared from being in trouble over this latest escapade due to the fact that he'd be dead of cold.

A fur dropped down around his shoulders, surprising him. He looked up and behind his chair, and there was the Jotun woman who'd come running into the hall. She gave him a warm smile and moved back to sit beside Laufey. He was surprised that a Jotun would be so kind to an Asgardian. He pulled the fur tighter around himself and buried his hands in it. It was fabulously warm and he felt a thousand times better.

He had no idea how long he waited, but three loud blows on the door brought him out of his thoughts with a thump. His heart did a funny little gallop in his chest as the doors opened and there stood Odin, along with Thor, his friends, and guards from the palace. Odin and Thor strode into the hall and Loki felt his heart do another funny dance when he saw his mother half-a-step behind Odin. Ohhh, dear. Well, the Jotuns would be nicely entertained when she started shouting at him, but no matter. His family was here, Thor and everyone else was okay...he was going home!

Elated at the prospect, Loki shrugged his way out of the fur, hopped down from the chair, and headed straight for his family. "Father! Mother! Thor!"

WHAM.

He'd forgotten about the wretched barrier Laufey had put up around him and for the second time that day, he saw stars. He stumbled back and glared at Laufey, just _daring_ him to say something.

Odin saw what happened and he glared at Laufey. "Let my son go."

Laufey smiled as Loki picked himself up from the floor. "I do not have Thor Odinson in my custody, All Father."

"No, you have Loki Odinson," Thor snapped. "Let my brother go!"

Laufey shook his head. "You have no brother, Thor Odinson."

"What are you talking about?" Thor snarled.

Loki was just as confused as Thor. What was Laufey on about?

"During our last battle with Odin All Father, a child was placed in a temple so that he would be protected by the gods while we fought. He was a rarity among us, one not gifted with physical strength but with intelligence and far-seeing eyes. When he grew up, he would be a scholar, a mage, and a treasure to our people. However, during the battle, he was stolen from the temple before we could return for him. We have not seen him since that day...not until today, when he walked onto a battlefield to fight against his own people. He has returned to us, and here he shall stay."

Loki stared at Laufey, wondering just what he was talking about. What did that story have to do with him…no. Oh, no. No, no, no! "That can't be true!" he shouted, his voice filling the silent hall. Frightened now, he turned to Odin. "Father, tell him he's wrong."

Odin looked at Loki, his face an impassive mask. Thor looked from his father, to Loki, to Laufey and back again. "Father?"

"I wish it were otherwise, but what he says is true," Odin said, sounding every moment of his many years. "I am sorry, Loki. I found you in the temple. You were only a baby. I thought you had been abandoned and left to die."

There was an immediate uproar in response to that statement. Laufey silenced it after a few minutes by raising his hand. "You were mistaken, All Father. You admit that you took the child. What reparations will you make?"

Frigga took Odin's hand. "Odin."

Odin looked at his wife and nodded. "I know. I know, love." Odin turned toward Laufey. "I cannot return the casket to you, Laufey. You know why I cannot. What would you like instead?"

Laufey fixed Odin with a long, cold look and his answer was a snarl. "You know the answer to that question, All Father."

Odin nodded. "Yes. May I speak with Loki? My wife and I, and you and your wife…and our sons?"

Laufey looked Odin up and down, and then at Frigga. "Very well."

The barrier around Loki disappeared and Loki looked at his father, feeling completely lost. He'd been found in a temple…? Why had Odin taken him? His mother had once told him that Odin had a reason for everything he did, but…what reason had he had _then_? The whole thing...all of it...it just couldn't be _true_!

Laufey led them all out of the great hall and into a smaller room off to the left. With a desk and shelves holding books and scrolls, the place reminded Loki of a study. As soon as the doors were closed, Loki turned to his father. "Is it really true?"

Odin took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, son."

Loki sank against the wall, feeling his world crumbling around him, Odin's words filling his ears like ashes. "Why didn't you ever _tell_ me?"

Frigga went to his side and put a hand on his shoulder. "We didn't want you to feel like an outsider, Loki. Over the years, in all the way that mattered, you were our son, and you still are."

What followed next was very difficult for all the parties involved. What was worst was learning that Odin had had more than altruism in mind when he'd taken Loki. He'd taken him in the hope that someday Loki would serve as the link between their two people and then hopefully, they would manage to build and maintain a lasting peace. After that, there was a great deal of talking, arguing, and even threats, but at the end, it was decided that Loki, now that his true parentage was known, would have to stay on Jotunheim.

When Loki heard that, he got to his feet and started shouting. "What if I don't want to stay here? What if I want to go home?"

Laufey growled under his breath and started to pace. "This _is_ your home…your true home. You never even had a chance to know it before, prince. Why not give it a chance?"

"My brother's home is in Asgard," Thor added, taking Loki's part. "You want him to just upend his life and stay here?"

Laufey snarled at Thor. "We have a right to know our son!"

"And I have a right to my own life!" Loki pressed.

"Loki, enough," Odin said. "He is right."

Loki stared at his father, the older man's betrayal piercing him through the heart. "What?"

"Laufey is right. You should have the chance to know your birthplace and your people."

"But Asgard is my home," Loki insisted. "Your people are my people now. I grew up on Asgard, I learned the Asgard history and stories and customs…everything that makes you Asgardian makes me an Asgardian, too! I grew up calling you 'Father'! Your wife is my mother, and your son is my brother! After raising me, after calling me your son for all those years, you'll give me back…abandon me…just like that?"

"No one said anything about abandoning anyone, Loki," Frigga reprimanded him. "We aren't abandoning you."

"Oh, really?" Loki snapped, feeling his ire rising. "I'm being forced to stay in a strange place with strange people with the possibility of never seeing my home or family again! What would you call it, then?"

"I would call it a reunion," Laufey stated, taking his wife's hand and bringing her forward to stand in front of Loki. "We haven't had a chance to introduce you, yet, but this is your mother, Farbauti. She's had an idea that might make things a little easier for you here."

Loki looked Farbauti up and down. A light smack on his shoulder from Frigga made him jump.

"I _know_ you have better manners than what you're showing now, Loki," she said firmly.

Belatedly, Loki put out a hand to shake. Caught between two mothers, he didn't have a chance. Once they'd shaken hands, Farbauti looked down at him and smiled. "Loki, would it help you if you stayed only a year with us, and then made a decision about where you would like to live?"

Loki stared at her. "A year?"

"A Jotun year," she explained. "Then, you could stay here if you liked, or return to Asgard."

Loki stared at Farbauti and Laufey. "You would…let me go back?"

"If that is what you wished," Farbauti answered. "We don't want you to be unhappy, Loki. Would you be willing to try a year here with us?"

Loki looked at his parents and brother and then at Laufey and Farbauti. "Would you allow me to write and receive letters?"

Laufey growled under his breath but Farbauti laid a calming hand on his shoulder. "I see no problem with that. Husband?"

Laufey opened his mouth to answer, but then he saw the look Farbauti was giving him. Immediately he subsided. "Very well."

Frigga stepped forward. "May we send some of Loki's things here?"

Farbauti gazed at Frigga and the two mothers regarded each other. "Such as?"

"His favorite books, some games, and he'll definitely need some clothes…he's not used to the cold here, and it will take you some time to have some made in a suitable size…" Frigga told her. "Please?"

Loki immediately saw his advantage. "I would feel better about things if we could do that. Just a bit."

Farbauti took it, hook, line, and sinker. Within the hour, the terms for Loki's stay were all settled, and Loki felt…odd. Not bereft, not exactly. More like he'd been set adrift. He really didn't like the feeling.

"We will send Loki's things this evening," Frigga promised. "Thor, will you help me choose things?"

Thor looked at Loki, who nodded. "I know just the things to send," he said at last.

"We will have someone watch for them," Farbauti said. "And thank you for thinking of such a thing. I am sure Loki will feel better having some of his own things here."

They left Laufey's study and returned to the now-deserted great hall. The guards from Asgard were still standing by the door, waiting, and several Frost Giants guarded them.

"Prince Loki will be staying on Jotunheim for the time being," Odin announced. "We will be returning to Asgard."

Laufey cleared his throat and spoke to his guards. "Please escort our guests to the Bifrost."

The Asgardian guards turned toward the doors, and Loki darted forward to stand in front of Laufey and Farbauti. "Wait! Wait, please! You'll let me say goodbye?"

Laufey regarded his small son and nodded.

Loki turned to his family, still struggling with how he was feeling.

"A year is not so long, Loki," Frigga said, embracing him and smoothing his hair for him. "You'll see. While you're here, take care of yourself, and give things a chance. You may be surprised."

"I doubt it," Loki said as quietly as he could. "I wish I was going home with you now."

She stepped back and laid a hand on the side of his face, and he reached up the grasp it, his eyes begging for reassurance he longed to hear. "Wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will be my son, Loki. Remember that, and that will help you through the hardest times. Will you remember that for me?"

Loki nodded. "I promise."

Frigga took him in her arms again and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, son. I'll see you soon."

Thor was next, hurrying forward to wrap his brother in a bear-hug. "I'll miss you, brother."

Loki grinned. "I'll miss you, too," he said. "It will be so quiet without you around. Nothing will get broken, my books won't disappear, and maybe I'll finally get the last honey cake at dinner..."

Thor's face broke out in a smile. "Nonsense! Surely not! The last honey cake is always mine!"

Loki gave his brother a playful look. "Now, you and I both know that the last honey cake is always Mother's!"

A final bear hug and Thor stepped back, allowing Odin to step forward. Odin did not speak, but he did sweep Loki into a bear hug to rival Thor's. Loki could feel in his father's arms that the older man was sorry to lose him and that he was going to miss his younger son.

Loki looked up at his father. "Father?"

"Please take care of yourself, my son," Odin said softly. "Ever since the day I brought you to Asgard, you have been a joy to me."

Loki hugged his father, tightening his grip at those words, and then he stepped back. With that, his Asgardian family and friends walked out of the doors and out of his life for the next year. He took a deep breath as the doors closed and then turned to look at Laufey and Farbauti.

Farbauti approached him and drew him into her arms. He stiffened, and she released him. "It will not seem so bad with time, Loki," she said. "I promise."

Laufey stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "I promise as well, my son. With time, things will not seem so bad. It is almost time for supper. Come, and we'll eat, and then we'll talk."

What else could Loki do but follow them? Praying under his breath that he could endure everything for the next year, Loki followed Laufey and Farbauti to supper.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Laufey and Farbauti led Loki through the great hall and down a hallway. Loki felt as if he were sleepwalking, or perhaps that the things he was seeing and hearing were not quite real, or at least, very, very far away. He supposed that he was still in shock a bit that his life had changed so dramatically in so short a time.

"We won't be having dinner with the court tonight," Farbauti told him as they approached a door at the end of the hall. "That would be too overwhelming for all of us, I think. Tonight, we'll just be having dinner as a family."

"That sounds fine," Loki said, struggling to calm himself down. Was this what shock was like, feeling completely numb yet feeling as if your mind was flying apart in a million pieces?

Laufey opened the door for them, revealing a dining room about a quarter of the size of the great hall. Inside it were a table and chairs, tapestries on the walls, a fireplace large enough to roast an ox in, and two young Jotun men. They were both standing near the fireplace, but they turned when the door opened.

Farbauti laid a hand on the small of Loki's back and propelled him forward. "Loki, I'd like you to meet two people who are very special. These are your brothers, Helbindi and Bylestir."

Brothers? He couldn't believe it. Remembering his manners, he shook hands, and finally asked the question that had sprung into his mind upon hearing that he had Jotun brothers. "Younger or older?"

The brother on the right grinned. "You're our older brother."

"Our _little_ older brother," the brother on the left added.

Loki looked at them, trying to puzzle out which was which. They had the blue-gray skins of Farbauti and Laufey, but they also had the bone structure he'd seen every time he looked in a mirror. It was interesting…and a little unsettling.

"I hope you're hungry," Farbauti said, steering him toward the table. "You've had a pretty big day." She shooed her two younger sons to their places and Laufey took his seat at the head of the table.

"To be honest, I haven't thought about food," Loki confessed as he looked at his chair. Laufey had placed him on the last Jotun chair he'd sat in, but this chair was a bit higher. Carefully, he placed his right foot on the chair's crossbar, grabbed the backrest, and pulled himself up. Once up, he scooted to the center of the seat and…he stared at the tabletop in front of him. The edge of the table was the same height as his sternum. To the Jotuns in the room, he must look like a child seated at the adults' table.

He felt absolutely ridiculous.

One of his brothers appeared by his chair, holding a large cushion. "Try this."

It took a bit of maneuvering, but Loki managed to place the cushion on the seat and then sit down on top of it. With the added height, he felt as if he were sitting at a regular table. He looked over the table and felt a pang of homesickness. There was a table runner in a color similar to the one they had used for family dinners at home, and the dishes, cutlery, and even the glasses…it reminded him of a dinner at home after a long day of studying, doing swordwork with his brother, and generally fulfilling his duties as the younger son of Odin.

He felt tears prick the corners of his eyes and he stubbornly blinked them away. Now was not the time to break down into a blubbering heap of prince. No, he had to remain in control of himself. If he couldn't control himself, then what _could_ he control?

Farbauti sat next to him, and his brothers took their seats. As if on cue, several Jotuns came in, carrying dishes and baskets full of food. The aroma of roasted meat and freshly-baked bread reached him and his mouth watered.

The servers placed their burdens on the table, bowed, and left. In no time at all, everyone had been served and Loki found himself staring at a plate full of roast meat, vegetables, and bread. He regarded the meat with misgiving and glanced around the table. "Is this…beef?" he asked Faurbauti as he picked up his fork.

"Beef?" one of his brothers repeated. "What's that?"

"Meat that comes from a cow," Loki said.

"What's a cow?"

Farbauti glared at her son. "Helbindi, stop that."

He looked at his mother and smiled, radiating innocence. "Stop what, mother?"

The innocent look had not worked, apparently. "You're teasing your brother, and I don't like it. Understand?"

Now Helbindi ducked his head. "Yes, mother. I'm apologize, Loki. I shouldn't have teased you."

"The meat comes from our version of a cow," Laufey put in. "Give it a try."

Loki sliced a morsel of meat and tasted it. For a few seconds, everything was all right. It was tasty, and…HOT! It was very _hot_! He grabbed hold of the goblet sitting next to his plate and downed it all in one go. He finished off the water and wheezed. "What…was… _that_?" No wonder Frost Giants were never cold! Their food was so spicy that they could _never_ be cold!

"Just roast beef," Farbauti said, refilling his glass. "Are you all right?"

"Spicy…" Loki choked. He'd never had so much spice or seasoning at one time in his life! Eyes still watering and his throat burning, Loki took the goblet and swallowed its contents, and on Laufey's suggestion, he started eating bread to put out the fire in his mouth. After bread and a few more sips of water, the burning lessened to a point where it was bearable.

"Don't Asgardians season their food?" Helbindi asked, clearly surprised by his reaction to what he considered a normal dish.

"Not to this extent," Loki said, his lips still tingling from the spice. He looked at the vegetables on his plate and wondered if they were safe. They looked like a mix of different things, a bright tempting orange and green combination that drew the eye and made him feel even hungrier.

"Those aren't any good with a lot of seasoning," Laufey said, following his gaze. "They should be safe for you."

Loki did not find that particular statement reassuring, but he tried the vegetables anyway. One of them tasted sweet, almost like carrots, and the other… _was_ a vegetable…of some sort. Just what it was, he couldn't say, but it was at least good. He filled up on vegetables and bread, and for dessert there was cake flavored with fruit and a sweet spice that was actually pleasant, rather than excruciating. He was happy to accept a second helping of that, and following that, there was a dark hot drink that made him think of a warm fireside at night.

The cake and hot drink were the best parts of the meal. The rest of it was…uncomfortable. Everyone kept sneaking furtive looks at him when they thought he couldn't see, and the expressions on their faces told him clearly that they'd never thought to see him alive. Loki felt rather like an exotic animal in a menagerie. Then, the dinner conversation started.

"You've had a difficult day," Farbauti began. "I really don't know what to say to you...or if you even feel like talking..."

Here it was. He'd been dreading this part of things. They were going to ask him questions, demand answers...Loki's stomach knotted and he choked down a final swallow of the dark drink. "Ah...talking?"

"There is a lot that we do not know about you," Laufey told him. "And, I'm sure that there are things about us that you would like to know."

What could he say to that? "I'm not sure what to ask first," he said, his mind running a thousand miles a minute. Heavens above, what would he say? What _could_ he say? What would they expect him to say? "What if...what if you asked me questions?" He didn't like the idea of questions, but that way, at least, he would be able to control his answers. If they invited him to just start talking, his nerves would probably make him babble away, and he didn't want to do that.

"What do you like to do for fun?" Bylestir asked, jumping in before anyone else could ask anything.

Relief flooded him. That was an easy question! "Oh, lots of things. I like to go riding, I practice archery, I practice my magic, and during hunts I camp out with…" Loki almost said 'my brother,' but he caught himself in time. "Friends. I'll do swordwork, and when I'm inside I read or do something else. My mo—that is, Frigga, was teaching me some new spells lately, and I've spent a lot of time working on them."

Bylestir suddenly looked very interested. "What spells?"

"She was teaching me how to make it rain," Loki said, just as a few rain drops struck Bylestir's face.

Bylestir jumped up and darted a glance around the room, making his brother and parents laugh. Then, he looked at Loki and grinned. "That's wonderful!"

Loki looked at Bylestir's grin and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He'd seen the same sort of grin sometimes in the mirror, and at the present moment Helbindi was wearing an identical one, and he had to fight down a grin of his own. It looked like his Jotun brothers shared his sense of mischief.

"I foresee bad things," Laufey said. "What devilry are you planning, you two?"

"Perhaps you have misinterpreted what you've seen, Father," Helbindi stated. "We are planning nothing."

Bylestir nodded. " _Absolutely_ nothing."

Laufey gave both his younger sons a long look. "Uh-huh."

"If it suddenly begins to rain somewhere in the palace, then we will know you two are behind it," Farbauti warned both of them.

"Loki's the only one who can make it rain," Helbindi protested.

"We would know you both put him up to it," Laufey pointed out. "If you do that, I'll put my bow across your backs."

Hearing those words made Loki cringe inside. Laufey had said the same thing when he'd snatched him from the battlefield. It sounded as if it were a common threat, but was it ever carried out? He couldn't be sure.

"If you ever carry out that threat, I'll be amazed," Farbauti said fondly.

Well, then, maybe not, Loki reflected.

Helbindi must have seen that Loki was uncomfortable. "Don't worry, Loki. Father doesn't beat us. He just likes to pretend he will."

"If he's annoyed, he threatens to use his bow on our backs, string us up by our ankles…" Bylestir continued.

"And half a million other things, all equally gruesome or terrible," Helbindi finished. "Don't worry."

More questions followed. They asked about his favorite foods, what kinds of books he liked to read, and what he'd done while growing up. He didn't mind answering those questions at all, and he could tell that the answers he gave relieved them in some cases and made them glad in others.

When Helbindi yawned, Farbauti looked up at what had to be a timepiece on the wall. "If Helbindi is yawning, then it must be late," she said.

"What do you mean?" Loki asked, confused.

"Helbindi loves to stay up late," Laufey explained. "And Bylestir enjoys waking up early. Bylestir looks ready to fall asleep where he is, and Helbindi, you actually look tired. Are you tired?"

"It's been a long day," Helbindi said by way of answer.

"That it has," Farbauti stated. "It's time for all of us to head upstairs for some rest. We can talk some more in the morning."

Until Farbauti mentioned how late it was, Loki hadn't been tired. Now, all of a sudden fatigue descended like a falcon in the dive and struck him. He was tired. No, no tired. Exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to go to his room and rest.

Helbindi and Bylestir both bade Loki goodnight and headed off to their rooms, and Laufey and Farbauti led Loki to his. It was still embarrassing to have Laufey carry him up stairs, but he supposed that was better than risking a fall and a possible broken limb. Laufey carried him upstairs and then once he was at the top, he set Loki back on his feet and led the way down the hall. He veered right through a pair of double doors and down that hallway.

"These are the family rooms," Farbauti told him as they followed Laufey. "Our bedrooms are here, and our family study and sitting room. We do have servants in the palace, but only the most trusted servants come to these rooms. We'll introduce you to them tomorrow."

"That sounds fine," Loki said, wondering if they would ever get to his room. He had to take two strides for each stride of theirs and a hike was not what he needed at the moment.

Just as he finished that thought, Laufey flung a door open and stepped back so that Loki could go in first. "Here we are," he said grandly. "Your room."

Loki stepped inside and looked about. The walls and floor were the same icy-looking stone that he'd seen everywhere else in this place, but the room was spacious and comfortably furnished. The ceiling came to an arched peak at the top, with a soft globe of light hanging down to illuminate the room. The very high, four-poster bed was against the wall to the left of the door, the window was opposite the door, and the fireplace was on the wall to the right of the door. Loki saw a desk next to a bookshelf-with books!-and there were thick brown fur rugs scattered over the floor and near the hearth. There was a sitting area near the main door with two easy chairs and another bookshelf-more books!-and part of him wanted to sit right down and pick up a book, but a door in the right well next to the fireplace drew his attention. "Is that a closet?"

Farbauti opened the door for him. "Your bath," she said. "The fireplace in their shares a chimney with the one in here, so you'll be warm wherever you are in your suite."

Loki felt so grateful that for a moment he had to sit on the impulse to hug her. Despite the clothing he wore and the fur that Farbauti had wrapped around his shoulders, he'd still felt a bit cold. The heat from the fire downstairs had not been able to warm him, but in this room, it was actually comfortable.

A knock on the door revealed a servant carrying a large trunk. Immediately Loki recognized a trunk from his room back on Asgard. "The prince's things, sire." The servant carried it in and placed it at the foot of the bed.

"Thank you," Loki said, his fingers more than ready to tear open that lock and rifle through the contents inside. The last time he'd been this eager to open a box, it had been his name day.

"We'll say good night now," Farbauti said, "and you can settle in. We'll see you in the morning."

"Thank you," Loki said again. "Sleep well."

Laufey put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, and Farbauti embraced him the same way Frigga would have. Loki suffered through both shows of affection and as soon as the door was closed, he hurried to the trunk and opened it to behold the treasure within.

On the very top was the promised clothing. Shirts, trousers, vests, coats, boots, and underthings, as well as plenty of night clothes. He also found a robe made of a deep green fleece-like material, certain to be warm, and green felt slippers in a matching shade. There was a soft leather satchel, and in the satchel he found a bundle of clean handkerchiefs. Under that was a deep green coat, lined with fur, and a pair of gloves lined with black lambswool. They were fabulously warm and he pulled them on immediately.

In a cloth bag he found his comb, brush, and everything else he used for keeping himself groomed and decent, as well as several bars of his usual soap and a bottle of the sage-scented hand cream he used when the weather turned cold and his hands chapped. That problem had plagued him ever since he was young, and for the first time, he found himself wondering if that was because by blood, he was a Frost Giant. He pushed that thought away and continued digging through the trunk.

Under the clothing were two tapestries, bright with color and he was thankful that he had something to cover the walls with. All of that gray and ice color became boring pretty quickly. He glanced at the walls and wondered just how he was going to manage to hang them. The walls didn't look as if they would hold nails or hooks...shaking his head, he set the tapestries aside and resumed his hunt through the trunk. He found a few of his favorite games...did Frost Giants play the same games as Asgardians? Below the games, there were books. Most of them were his favorites, tales and poems and sagas that he'd read over and over again with pleasure. Others were brand new or taken from the family library. In one of the new books, he found an inscription from Thor. _I was saving this for your name day, brother, but now seemed like a good time to send it to you. May it grant you plenty of pleasant evenings reading in front of the fire until we see each other again. My love, always. Your brother._ Loki ran his hands over the cover and smiled. Thor knew him so well.

Under the books Loki found more, little mementos that were as familiar to him as the faces of his family. There was his favorite throw pillow from his bed, one that Frigga had given him, and it was embroidered with his name in different alphabets. Frigga had done every stitch herself. Next to the pillow was a stuffed bear that Odin had given him one year when he'd been small. He and that bear had been through many adventures, most of them against Frost Giants...

His throat closed and his eyes suddenly burned with tears. He clutched the bear, the pillow, and Thor's gift and collapsed against the wall, his shoulders shaking with sobs that he didn't dare let out. He couldn't even handle one day on Jotunheim; how in the name of the Nine Realms would he last an entire _year_?

The storm of tears did not last long and he was able to quell it without too much trouble. He returned his things to the trunk and pulled out a set of nightclothes. He was so tired that he was slowly turning into a blubbering heap of prince, and that would not do. No, he felt as if he had to be a credit to Asgard and make his Asgardian family proud.

He only hoped Heimdall had not been watching.

He went into the bath and washed his face before changing into night clothes. He padded across his bedroom in his bare feet, wincing when his feet touched an uncarpeted bit of floor. _How_ could Frost Giants stand living in a building that was so _cold_? He took a running leap and jumped the last foot to his bed, scrambling up into the bed. It was a higher bed than he was used to, and so large that four of him could sleep comfortably and not touch each other. The comforter was thick, soft, and warm under his hands, and he slid between it and the bedsheets. There was a veritable pile of pillows for his head and he dropped into them, luxuriating for a moment in the sheer amount of softness they provided. Occasionally, he liked to loll about in bed with a book, and this amount of pillows was perfect for that.

He was laying there, thinking about blowing out the one candle he'd left burning, when there was a knock on the door. He sat up, wondering who would knock so late at night. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Laufey and Farbauti. "May we come in?"

Loki nodded. "Of course. Is something the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter," Laufey assured him. "We...wanted to come say good night the way we used to when you were young."

Loki wasn't sure about the sound of that. "What did you used to do?"

"Well, you're already in bed, so part of it's done," Farbauti said lightly with a smile. "Your father and I would like to tuck you in. That's all."

 _I'm not a child_ was on Loki's lips, but instead, he settled down into the pillows. He was tired, far too tired to argue about such a little thing. "All right."

Farbauti smiled, but she looked a little teary as she pulled his blanket up to his chin and smoothed his hair for him. "Goodnight, Loki. I am so glad that you're here."

It was such a motherly gesture and tone and reminded him so much of Frigga that Loki was hard put to keep his feelings concealed. "Good night."

Laufey reached down and smoothed his hair back as well. "Good night, son. Sleep well, and we'll see you in the morning."

With a last pat to the blankets, Laufey and Farbauti turned down the light and left, closing the door behind them.

Loki lay there for several minutes in the darkness, trying to calm down his whirling thoughts. He was exhausted in all meanings of the word, yet he was sure that he would never be able to sleep. His whole world-everything he had ever believed to be true-was wrong. He was not the son of Odin and Frigga, he was not the brother of Thor, and he was not a prince of Asgard. Instead he was...who? A Frost Giant? Laufey had said that a person of his size was a treasure on Jotunheim, but what exactly did that mean? What could he expect, living on Jotunheim as a "treasure"? What would be expected of him? More importantly, what was he going to _do_ , day after day after day?

How he wished he was back in his room on Asgard.

The thought of that familiar room, of hearing his parents' and his brother's voices, undid him. His throat closed up, his eyes burned, and he knew it was coming.

He got out of bed and got himself a handkerchief. "Heimdall, if you're watching, please ignore the next few minutes. Please."

The storm of tears didn't last long, but before it was over, he'd used three handkerchiefs and ended up back in bed, clutching the pillow and the bear and turning over the book's pages. These were tangible things his family had given him, and he had a strong feeling that he would turn to them time and time again for comfort. Finally, at long last, he could feel himself falling asleep. His last thought that he was only on Jotunheim for a year, and Heimdall, most likely, would be watching him the whole time, on his parents' orders. With that comforting thought, he let himself slip into dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey, everyone. Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been super-busy and I've been a bit sick, but hopefully, I'll mend up soon. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Later!

Chapter 3

Loki dreamed. He was in that wretched ice forest, hurrying through the ice spires, desperately seeking for something or someone. Every time he turned a corner he was certain he would find it, but each time, he was cruelly disappointed. The worst thing was the sound hovering at the edge of his hearing, a sound somewhere between his name and the sound of the wind rushing through the ice shards.

He woke at some point and was mightily confused when he saw not the bright stone and timber walls of his room on Asgard, but the rough stone and ice blocks of…Jotunheim.

For a moment he felt so desolate that he was close to tears. He rolled over in bed and buried his head underneath his pillow, telling himself for the thousandth time that he was a Prince of Asgard, and he could NOT dissolve into tears every time he felt a little unhappy.

The silence and darkness under the pillow and the warmth of the bed holding him actually helped him relax and lulled him back to sleep. He didn't wake up again until the sun rose…that, and the whispers he heard in his room.

"I don't know if we should wake him…"

"Why not?"

"He looks so…peaceful…"

"It's almost time for breakfast, and Mother and Father said to wake him."

"But…look at him! Can you honestly look at him and say that you could wake him up?"

There was silence as the two speakers regarded him. Tired of having people gawking at him, Loki rolled over and opened his eyes. "If you wanted to avoid waking me, you shouldn't have been talking so loudly."

Bylestir and Hellbindi both looked as if they wished the floor would open up and swallow them whole. "How…how much did you hear?" Bylestir choked out.

"I look peaceful when I sleep, apparently," Loki said dryly. "I also heard something about breakfast."

"Yes, it's almost time for breakfast," Helbindi said. "Mother and Father wanted us to wake you."

Loki nodded and sat up. "All right. Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready." He got out of bed and paused. "Ah…where do I go?"

"The same room where we had supper last night," Bylestir said. "Did you want us to wait for you?"

Loki shook his head, still not quite awake. "No, I remember where it is. I'll see you downstairs."

Once they left, Loki sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. He was NOT ready for today by any measure. Last night had been uncomfortable enough; he hated to think just how _long_ today was going to be. It was going to be a whole day spent with perfect strangers and he had no idea what to say to them. How was he going to make the time pass until he could come up to his room and be by himself?

Telling himself to think about it later, Loki headed into the bathroom and took care of necessary things before washing up. Draped in his robe and several towels, he headed back to his room to dress. It took him a few minutes to choose his clothes—he wanted something that would keep him warm but would not make him look like an overfed caterpillar. After a few minutes (and with his teeth chattering) Loki settled on black pants, a white shirt stitched in green with a matching vest, a green jacket, lined boots, and his lambswool gloves. He could always take them off when he needed to and store them in his pockets, so at least his hands would be warm. Feeling much warmer, Loki made his bed and put his room in order and headed to breakfast.

He remembered how to get to the stairs, but he had failed to remember the stairs themselves. He stopped at the head of the staircase in dismay, remembering how he'd had to be carried down them the night before. Was that what he would have to do every single day? He edged closer to the stairs and looked down. Perhaps he could...wait a moment.

Sometime during the night, someone had done something to the steps. On the railing side, there were additional stairs added, cutting the tread heights in half for each step. The additional stairs made the original staircase easy for him to go down on his own. Grinning, he held on to the railing and headed downstairs on his own and reached the dining room without a problem.

"Good morning, Loki," Farbauti said as soon as he reached the dining room. "Did you sleep well?"

Did she really want the whole truth? Hmm. No, she'd be distressed if he said anything approaching the truth. "I slept fine. You?"

"Just fine," she said, giving him a smile. "So no nightmares last night?"

Damn. Did she know? "None that I can recall right now." That statement was the perfect truth. He couldn't recall any nightmares at that moment because if he did, her reaction might be bad.

"All right," she said, leading him to his chair and giving him a hand up to his seat. "Hungry?"

Loki felt his stomach grab hold of his ribs and shake them. "Ravenous." He only hoped that he could eat what was served. He hadn't forgotten the meat from the previous night.

Laufey came in at that point, greeted his wife, Helbindi, Bylestir, and then clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Good morning, Loki."

"Good morning." How could one person's arm weigh so much? His shoulder felt as if it were about to give way.

The servers came in then and Laufey took his seat at last, showing mercy to Loki's shoulder. When they left, there was a large platter of sliced meats, a basket of fruit, a basket of toasted bread, a bowl full of...pieces of...something, another basket holding something that looked like boiled eggs, a tureen full of something hot, and pitchers with something to drink. Without a word Farbauti, Laufey, and their sons filled his plate and bowl for him and poured him a drink.

"Here you are," Farbauti said, giving him back his cup. "I think you'll like this."

Loki cautiously took a sip of the hot drink and felt himself smile. It was delicious! "What is this?"

"Hata tea," Bylestir told him. "It's supposed to be good for growing children."

Loki swallowed fast and nearly choked. "Ah...I'm pretty sure I'm done growing."

"Bylestir's teasing you," Helbindi said. "But he's right about the growing children thing. Hata tea is regarded as a tonic and all-around good for you. Besides that, it tastes really good."

Loki wasn't going to argue with that. He took another sip and set his cup aside so he could start on his meal. He looked with some misgivings at the meat...would it be safe to eat it? He had two slices of meat, a slice of bread, a piece of fruit that had been cut into quarters for him, some of the stuff he hadn't recognized, two things that looked like eggs, and a bowl full of...something. "I recognize the bread, meat, fruit, and eggs, but what is the rest of what I'm about to enjoy?" That was the politest way he could think of to ask, _What IS all this stuff?_ and _Will any of this set my mouth on fire?_

"You have ledas soup there," Laufey said, pointing to his bowl. "It has mushrooms, chopped vegetables, and falna grain in it. It is seasoned, but it shouldn't be spicy."

"The white blocks are cheese," Farbauti added. "You can spread them on your bread or break them into your soup."

"The meat is only seasoned with salt," Helbindi put in. "I think you'll be able to eat it with no problem."

Feeling reassured, Loki dug in to his meal. The meat was tender and tasted a bit smoky, the cheese sharp with a sweet tang, and the bread was crusty and feather-light at the same time. The eggs, although they were shaped differently than what he was used to, were still eggs, despite looking like pieces of hail. With a bit of salt, they were delicious. The fruit was crisp and delicious, and feeling rather reassured, Loki started on the soup. He was used to hot cereals at breakfast, but he supposed, with all the grain in the broth, this technically counted. As soon as the taste of the first spoonful hit him, he smiled. It was heaven in a bowl!

"Good, huh?" Bylestir commiserated.

"Wonderful," Loki admitted. He wondered if he could get his hands on the recipe. When he went back to Asgard, he'd want to…His heart gave a little thump. He wouldn't be going back to Asgard. Not for a while, at least.

Oh, gods. What was he going to do here, day after day after day?

"I'm sure that you boys have plans for today," Laufey said to his two younger sons. "But I would like it if you would spend some time with Loki. Why don't you show him around the palace and the grounds this morning?"

Bylestir and Helbindi grinned. "Father, are you joking? All our plans today include Loki!"

Loki wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Farbauti fixed both her sons with a _look_. "If it rains anywhere today in the palace, you'll both be in trouble."

"We wouldn't dream of it," Helbindi said primly. "We promise, Mother."

"Absolutely," Bylestir added, radiating innocence.

She wasn't fooled. "Mmm-hmm."

Loki couldn't resist. "I could keep an eye on them for you, if you like."

Oh, the looks on their faces.

He couldn't help it. A chuckle crept its way up his throat and escaped, surprising him, and a moment later he was leaning back in his chair and laughing. All of them were chuckling after a bit and for some reason, Loki felt a lot better.

"That would be helpful," Farbauti said brightly once they'd calmed down.

Loki liked her sense of humor. "So, what is on the agenda today?"

"Agenda?" Helbindi echoed. "There's no plan. No obligations. We're just gonna show you everything in the palace and the grounds…"

"You'll love it. Trust us." Bylestir gave him a warm smile.

Loki wondered just why they were so eager to show him around, but he decided it didn't really matter. He'd have to learn where things were, after all. He'd be here for a year.

After breakfast and after wishing Laufey and Farbauti a pleasant morning, Bylestir and Helbindi led Loki out of the breakfast room and down the hall.

"I'm sure you'll recognize this place," Helbindi said as he led them into the large hall where Loki had said goodbye to his family the day before. "This is the great hall, where Father holds large audiences and receives foreign visitors."

"It also doubles as a ball room and feast hall," Bylestir added. "The court meets here as well, when it's in session."

Loki looked around the space. Without all the Jotuns in it, it looked even larger. Carved pillars supported the roof and there was a raised gallery above the double doors that led the courtyard. At the far end of the room, opposite the door, was Laufey's and Farbauti's thrones.

After the great hall, they led Loki to the council room, where Laufey and his advisors met, and then they showed him the solar, where Farbauti and her ladies gathered during the day. After that, they took him upstairs to see the library, packed with scrolls and books, all written in the Jotun language.

"Oh, this is a good one," Bylestir said, plucking a book off the shelves and handing it to him. "They're popular children's tales. Everybody grows up hearing them, so it would be good for you to read them."

Loki opened the book and flipped through the pages. "Ahh...I can't read Jotun."

That brought his guides up short. "Oh. Well, don't worry; you'll soon learn. Let's go."

They showed him the family rooms-sitting room, study, and their own bedrooms-before showing Loki their parents' room.

"Should we be in here?" Loki whispered.

"Sure we should," Helbindi stated. "You've been in here before."

Loki looked around the room, confused. He didn't remember seeing this room before. "No, I haven't."

"When you were a baby," Bylestir clarified. "Look, over there."

Loki looked where he pointed and found himself staring at a large cradle in the corner.

"We all slept there when we were babies, but you were the first," Helbindi said as Loki approached the cradle. "Even after Bylestir and I were grown up, the cradle stayed."

Loki stared at it, and then reached out to touch it. The slightest brush of his fingers made it rock. "Why did they never...I don't know...put it away somewhere?"

"We don't know," Bylestir said sadly. "I think Mother and Father couldn't let the idea of you go. I think they were hoping to bring you home some day."

Loki sighed. "Well, even as small as I am compared to everyone else here, I'm still too big for a cradle."

"That you are." Bylestir checked what looked like a timepiece. "Are you hungry? It's almost time for lunch."

Loki nodded. Anything to get out of that room and the away from the ghost of the baby who had disappeared all those years ago.

To his surprise, Helbindi and Bylestir led him downstairs, but not to the dining room. Instead, they went down a back staircase that led to the kitchen, where the staff froze in their places when they entered.

"Hello, everyone!" Helbindi said brightly. "My brothers and I were wondering if we could possibly get a picnic lunch."

The workers all bowed. "Certainly, prince," the nearest said. "Any preferences?"

"Anything will be fine, just nothing too seasoned," Bylestir said. "Loki still isn't used to our food yet."

Loki wished he could make the floor swallow him whole. EVERYONE in that room was staring at him, and it was very uncomfortable. Even while they were bustling about, assembling the requested lunch, they were still staring.

"Ah, thank you," Helbindi said as he was handed a loaded basket. "Perfect. Let's go."

Nothing loath, Loki followed both of them out a side door and into the gardens. The wind rushed through the plants and bit right through his clothing, but he was too interested in seeing the grounds to go back inside where it was warmer.

"This is the kitchen garden," Bylestir said. "They grow fruits and vegetables in the hothouses over there, and herbs and medicines in the beds out here."

Loki looked around, feeling strangely pleased by the mathematical patterns formed by the plantings. "Who planted all this?"

"It's been here for years," Helbindi told him. "Come on, and we'll find a place to eat."

They led him through a gate and into what had to be the pleasure gardens. The flowerbeds were empty in the cold, but the patterns made by the stone paths and rockeries were striking, and Loki found himself following the knotted patterns with his eyes, trying to untie them. He felt as if he could spend hours in the gardens, trying to untangle those patterns.

"Oh, you like the tanglewoods," Bylestir said, noticing where Loki's attention was directed. "It's a popular pattern here."

"I see that," Loki said. "Do you ever find the end? Or the beginning?"

"People are still trying," Helbindi chuckled. "C'mon, let's get out of the wind."

They led Loki to a sheltered spot in the far corner of the gardens and it wasn't long before they were happily munching on what the kitchen had provided. The kitchen had split rolls and filled them with slices of meat and roast vegetables, and there was fruit, cake, and roasted nuts to finish the meal.

"Oh, that was good," Helbindi sighed as soon as the last crumb was a memory.

"Mmm," Bylestir agreed. "Loki, did you have enough to eat?"

"And then some," Loki said, leaning against the rocks behind him. "Is that what a picnic is for you? Onslaught by food?"

"You should see our name-day feasts," Helbindi said with a grin. "It's best not to have any breakfast or lunch on your name day. You need all the interior space you can get."

"You know what we should show Loki now?" Bylestir said easily into the silence that followed. "The children's garden."

Loki had a sudden vision of Jotun children frozen into statues populating a garden. "The children's garden?"

"Come and see," Helbindi and Bylestir said at the same time.

Loki followed them across the garden and through another gate, and he found himself staring at what looked like a grove full of trees. There were vines hanging from the trees, logs leaning against other trees, tangles of vines..."This is a garden?"

"You'll like it," Bylestir said. "Come on. We'll show you."

They led Loki to what looked like a patch of ground overgrown with a very thick tangle of vines. He was still trying to figure out if it was some kind of planting when Bylestir picked him up. "Hey! Put me...!"

Bylestir dropped him...he hit the vines...and he bounced! Two more bounces and he'd gained his feet! "What is this?"

"A trampoline," Helbindi said with a grin. "Like it?"

Loki bounced again, and then one more time, and he felt himself grin. This was fun!

"Mother had this garden built for children when we were still small," Bylestir explained. "It gave us a safe place to play away from the guards' exercise yard, and since we had the best playground around, we had plenty of youngsters willing to come here and play with us."

"Yes, Mother didn't really think this one through, did she?" Helbindi said, joining Loki on the trampoline. "All those kids...all the mischief we got up to...never a peaceful moment..."

Loki could just imagine the two of them driving Farbauti mad with pranks and hijinks with their friends.

Poor Farbauti.

Helbindi and Bylestir showed him the rest of the garden, and he had to admit to himself that he quite liked it. There were vines to swing on, nets of vines and trees to climb on, hollow logs to slide through, logs resting against one another that allowed riders to seesaw back and forth...any child in this garden would not want for something to do! He swung, climbed, slid, jumped, and seesawed until he started to feel tired, but then, he didn't want to stop. Ignoring his fatigue, Loki headed up the tallest climbing tree that was there and perched at the top. It afforded a pretty good view of the grounds, and...who was that headed their way? He shielded his eyes with his hand, trying to make out who it was...

"HELBINDI! BYLESTIR!" Farbauti's voice rang out in the garden, easily filling the space. "WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"We're showing Loki the children's garden, Mother!" Helbindi called back.

"He likes it!" Bylestir added.

"GET HIM DOWN RIGHT NOW!"

Helbindi glanced up at him. "But why?"

"RIGHT NOW!" she repeated, still sounding furious. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Feeling certain that he'd broken a rule, Loki began to climb down. His first full day in this place and he was already in trouble. That wasn't a record for him, but still, he would have liked a few more peaceful days before he did something that got him into trouble.

Helbindi and Bylestir met him halfway and climbed down next to him, watching him carefully. By the time they reached the ground, Farbauti was at the foot of the climbing tree, looking murderous.

An apology was on Loki's lips, that he was sorry he'd upset her, that he hadn't known he wasn't allowed to be in that garden, and that…

Any apologies died the instant Farbauti scooped him up and hugged him close. He could actually feel her trembling. "Ah, are you all right?" He was so surprised that the question was out before he could stop it.

"I'm fine," she said, still hugging him. "Are you hurt?"

"No," he said, feeling mightily confused.

Farbauti rounded on her two younger sons, still holding Loki. "What did you think you were doing? Hmm? He could have fallen! He could have been hurt!"

"He was doing just fine, and we were watching him," Helbindi told her.

"He's a lot smaller than you two!" Farbauti snapped. "That tree was grown for normal-sized Jotun children! Could you honestly say you could have reached him in time if he'd lost his balance and fallen?"

The chagrin coming off Helbindi and Bylestir would have choked lesser men, Loki thought. "May I get down now?"

Farbauti set him down with a quiet apology while still managing to glare at her two younger sons.

Loki couldn't take the tension anymore. Helbindi and Bylestir looked as if they wanted to die on the spot and Farbauti looked ready to oblige them by killing them both. Their attention wasn't on him, so he scooted past Farbauti and took a flying leap onto one of the swings. He slid a little bit down the vine, but the knotted seat stopped him and it wasn't long before he was swinging back and forth, going higher and higher each time. He grinned and caught a glimpse of Farbauti's face. She wasn't pleased, but she wasn't ready to kill him yet, either. She looked a lot like Frigga when she wasn't pleased. Best to nip this problem in the bud before it got worse. He let the swing come to a stop and hopped off. "I'm all right."

"I can see that. Just please be careful."

"If I promise to be careful, will you let Helbindi and Bylestir live?"

That broke the tension. A second later, and Farbauti was chuckling. "All right, all right, you've got me," she said, ruffling his hair. "Let's go inside, shall we? Laufey's waiting."

Loki, Helbinid, and Bylestir followed Farbauti inside, and Loki was more than happy to head straight for the fireplace in the small dining room. He hadn't realized just how cold it had been outside. He was freezing and he was starting to be a little tired and surprisingly, he was starting to be hungry. He felt as if he'd just had lunch, but his stomach was starting to let him know that it was very unhappy and that it wanted food, now.

Loki looked to where Farbauti was sitting and saw that the table was set for a meal. Was it dinner time already?

He didn't have to wonder long. The servers came in and put food on the table and scurried out again, and Loki saw a few of the workers he'd seen earlier in the kitchen. What they'd left on the table, though, did not look like dinner. There was too little to feed four people dinner, but perhaps a snack…What was this?

"Come and sit down, Loki," Farbauti said as Laufey came in.

"What's all this?" he asked, pulling himself up into his seat.

"It's our mid-afternoon meal," Laufey said as he took his seat. "This will hold us over until dinner later tonight."

"So, it's afternoon…tea?"

"Something like," Helbindi said as he and Bylestir took their seats.

"Would you boys like to tell your father what you got up to this afternoon?" Farbauti said sweetly as she poured a hot drink for all of them.

"Not really," Helbindi said quickly.

"Not important at all," Bylestir added.

Laufey looked at both of his sons. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." They both spoke at the same time and in the same tone and Loki was hard put to hide a smile. They reminded him of him and Thor whenever Frigga thought they'd done something and was quizzing them about it.

Homesickness rushed over him then. If he'd been at home, he could have been actually talking to his mother instead of just thinking about her, and he could have spent the day with Thor or with his friends, and perhaps, that evening, he and Odin could have whiled away an hour or two over a game of chess. Thor had no patience with the game and it was too easy to lose to Frigga, but Odin had always enjoyed playing chess with him. It gave them both a chance to talk, Odin had said more than once, and he'd always enjoyed that.

To hide how he was feeling, Loki sipped at his drink and then dug into the spiced cake in front of him. He was more than happy to accept a second helping of that and he was just poking at the last crumbs on his plate when he realized Farbauti had been speaking for quite some time.

"…and don't think that I'm going to forget about this in a hurry," she told her two younger sons. "I told you more than once that Loki is too small to climb those tall trees, but you let him do it anyway. He's your brother; it's your job to watch out for him."

"I was fine," Loki said before Helbindi or Bylestir could say anything. "I'm not a baby, you know."

"I know that," Farbauti said gently. "But the fact remains that you are still much smaller than a normal Jotun. If you were a normal size, you could have caught yourself easily if you'd fallen, but at the size you are, you could have been seriously hurt. Helbindi and Bylestir knew that, but they didn't stop you from climbing that tree."

"You're not going to keep me from doing things just because I'm small, are you?" Loki asked, dread filling him. The last thing he wanted was to be kept wrapped in cotton wool for the entire time he was there! "I can do a lot of things, you know. I trained as an Asgard warrior."

Everyone's heads turned in tandem to stare at him. As one, they all said, "WHAT?"

"I did," Loki restated calmly. "I can defend myself hand-to-hand, fight with a knife, sword, club, and staff, I'm a good archer and a good rider, and I had plenty of survival training…" He stopped. Why were they looking at him like that? Farbauti and her sons looked shocked, but Laufey looked ready to kill someone.

By that point, he'd had enough. So he'd climbed a tree. Big deal! They'd all better grasp the fact that he wasn't going to just calmly sit around for the whole year just so they'd feel better about his safety! He wasn't a baby or an invalid, so they'd better get used to that fact!

"Loki, that isn't safe for you to do," Laufey said.

"Why not?" Loki wanted to know. "I've done it for years."

Farbauti looked even more upset. "Because you're what you are."

"And that clears it all right up," Loki snapped, losing his patience.

"You do not speak to your mother that way," Laufey said firmly.

Loki didn't know what happened. He didn't know if it was his annoyance at the moment or all the emotions he'd been keeping tamped down, but the table hit the ceiling and dropped back down to the floor in pieces. While Laufey, Farbauti, and their sons were still staring at the wreckage in shock, Loki jumped down from his chair, stormed out of the room, and sprinted up the stairs. Once he was in his room, he bolted his door and magicked another lock on it. He doubted they'd be able to get through _that_.

He paced his room for a while, his fury still a burning, living thing inside him. What did he care if he'd wrecked some furniture? What did he care if they were angry about what he'd done? If they weren't happy with him, then they could bloody well send him back to Asgard!

After a few minutes, his anger wore down. Either that, or his anger wore him down. It really didn't matter. He knew they would be angry with him and he knew that he would hear about wrecking the table and the way he'd spoken, but at the moment, he was too tired to care. He crawled into his bed and clutched the gifts he'd gotten from his family. He was alone, far from home, and he missed them beyond bearing.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Hey, all. Sorry it took me so long to update. I had to have some surgery and then recover and LIFE kept happening. However, I'm recovered and back to writing, so I hope to update a lot more often now. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 4

He should have known that they would come to find him. He had perhaps an hour or so before he heard footsteps approach and stop outside his door. A moment later, there was a knock.

"Loki?"

Laufey. Oh, no. What was he going to do?

"Loki, are you in there?"

Did he have to answer?

"If you're there, please open the door."

He stayed on his bed. He wasn't about to open that door.

"Loki, I'd like to talk to you. Would you open the door, please?"

He didn't answer, and he didn't open the door. He wasn't about to do anything that any of them wanted.

"Loki?"

Approaching footsteps heralded the arrival of someone else. From the light footsteps, he guessed it was Farbauti. He heard a whispered conversation and then a sigh.

"Loki, when you're ready to talk, please come to the family sitting room. We'll be there."

Two sets of footsteps moved away from the door.

Loki settled into the pillows on his bed with a sigh. He didn't know what was more troubling, a Laufey who was angry with him or a Laufey who sounded so confused and defeated. At any rate, he was NOT leaving his room. He could only imagine what the punishment would be for his behavior at the table. It would probably be even worse since he had _destroyed_ the table.

These were Frost Giants. Jotuns. No, the punishment would not be good.

He nestled into the mound of pillows on his bed and tried to still his spinning thoughts. How long would they let him hole up in his room? Today? Tonight? Would they try to force the door tomorrow? He really didn't want to think about it.

As he lay there, he thought about just what had precipitated the argument. So what if he'd trained as an Asgard warrior? He'd been living on Asgard! He'd grown up on Asgard! All the men learned to fight in order to protect their homes and loved ones. That was just what a male did. To not allow a man to do that would be tantamount to telling him that he was less than a man and that he was not worthy of considering himself as a man of Asgard. Now that he thought about it, a great number of women learned to fight and defend as well. Sif was the perfect example, as was his mother, Frigga! What was so all-fired _bad_ about the fact that he'd learned to fight?

Turning the issue over in his mind, Loki figured that it all came down to the fact that he was much smaller than the usual Jotun. He was the size of a child compared to Helbinid and Bylestir. And what was it they had called him? A treasure. Special. But just what was he? They hadn't explained that at all.

He really wanted an explanation, but he wasn't about to open that door to get it. He might stay in this room forever.

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but he woke up in the dark, the silence and darkness surprising him. What time was it? Were they still waiting for him to come out?

That was when the cold hit him. It was freezing! Shivering, his teeth chattering, Loki made his way to the fireplace and added fuel before stirring up the coals so the fuel would catch. In a few minutes, he had a blazing fire and he crouched on the hearthstone, trying desperately to get warm. It seemed to take an eternity before his teeth stopped chattering and his shivering eased, but he was still cold. He added more fuel (was it coal? wood? something else?) and changed for bed, pulling on his robe. Thank goodness it was made of fleece! At least he would be warm!

The slightest of sounds just outside his door startled him. He paused and listened, but all he heard was the sound of footsteps moving away from the door. Curious, Loki crouched down and peered through the gap at the bottom of the door. There was something outside the door. He considered not opening the door, but curiosity got the better of him and cautiously (if he saw a single Jotun, he would go back into his room until the end of time!) he unlocked and opened the door.

Someone had left a tray for him. Briefly he considered leaving it where it was as a silent testament to his mood, but a growl from his stomach decided the issue. He took the tray into his room and re-locked the door before sitting down with the tray at the table. There was a bowl of what looked like a stew, several slices of bread, a sweet fruit cobbler for dessert, and a hot drink. All of it, even the bread, was hot and delicious and just what he needed to warm himself up. Once he was warm, he felt more at peace with the world. Perhaps, he thought, perhaps in the morning he would go and talk to Laufey and Farbauti. Perhaps they would accept an apology for his behavior and perhaps, they would be willing to explain things.

* * *

He woke up the next morning with the sun barely above the horizon, and feeling brave, Loki got up and headed into his bathroom. It had a lot of the same things that an Asgardian bathroom would have, and for a moment, he felt encouraged by the familiarity. He took a long, leisurely bath in the Jotun-sized tub, toweled off, then curled up in the sauna area in the corner. After a while he got up, ducked into a tub full of cool water, washed again, and left the room to get dressed. He was still nice and warm from the bath and he was thankful that the warmth stayed until he was dressed. He made his bed, set his room and the bath in order, gathered all his courage, and unlocked his door.

There was no one lurking outside it. Good. He headed down the hall, down the stairs and into the dining room. He was the first one there, thank goodness, and he sat down in a chair by the fire, determined to enjoy the warmth and not drive himself mad with "what ifs?"

Helbindi and Bylestir burst through the door after a quarter of an hour, the both of them chattering away in Jotun and nudging each other with their elbows in a game that looked reminiscent of one played by brothers everywhere. They didn't notice Loki in the chair beside the fire, and it took them a minute to realize they weren't alone. "Good morning," Loki said evenly.

"Morning," Bylestir said, looking Loki up and down. "It's good to see you."

Farbauti came in then, followed by Laufey, and both of them stopped in their footsteps as soon as they saw Loki.

"Loki...ah, good morning," Laufey said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Quite well," Loki admitted. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. I shouldn't have behaved that way. I see you've replaced the table."

Farbauti glanced at the table. "Yes, there are several tables in the palace. They're needed more often than you realize."

"Sometimes there can be some disagreements over supper," Helbindi supplied.

"And those disagreements can sometimes become brawls," Bylestir added.

Loki looked back and forth between his two Jotun brothers. "Out of curiosity, is it you two having the brawls?"

Laufey actually grinned at the joke. "Only half the time," he said. "Your apology is accepted. Please, come sit down and have some breakfast."

Still expecting Laufey or Farbauti to be angry with him, Loki took his seat. Breakfast was served and they ate, but the atmosphere in the room was still strained. Loki managed to eat, but finally, he could take the tension no longer. "Could I...talk with you a bit? Ask some questions?"

He had their attention. "Of course."

He decided to just come right out and say it. "Why were you so upset that I trained as a fighter?"

Farbauti shifted in her chair. "I suppose...I suppose it was the possibility of you being hurt that upset us."

He shook his head, not understanding. "Why should that upset you? I would heal, after all."

He saw Laufey grit his teeth. "That's not the issue. You should not have to suffer injury at all!"

"That doesn't explain too much," Loki sighed, taking a sip from his mug. "Is it because I'm...different?" He could think of no other way to say it.

"You're a living blessing," Farbauti said. "I don't think the word would translate from Jotun to Asgardian, but that's the closest phrase I can think of to describe it. Jotuns like you are...extremely rare. They're revered in Jotun culture simply because there are so few of them. Also, they go on to do great things with their lives. They're actually believed to be gifts from the gods, and to have a living blessing born in your community is seen as a mark of the gods' favor. They're scholars, magicians, healers, artists...the possibilities are endless. Because their potential is so great and because they are so rare, they are always protected. It is not necessary for them to learn to fight to protect themselves, and it's certainly not necessary for them to risk themselves in battle since any warrior would gladly give his or her life to protect them."

Loki wasn't sure what to think about that. "So...what? Am I going to have bodyguards dogging me every step I take from now on?"

"That isn't necessary while you're in the palace," Laufey said. "And besides, no one here or in the town would dare harm you. We wouldn't smother you just to keep you safe, Loki."

Loki took another sip from his mug of tea to give himself time to think. "I really don't know...about anything. If I'd grown up here, what would my life have been like?"

"You'd have been spoiled rotten," Bylestir said with a grin. "It's something people can't resist doing when a living blessing is around. They'd want to stuff you with sweets, hug you, teach you, talk with you, tell you stories..."

"You'd be able to get away with anything, too," Helbindi added. "No one would believe that you'd be up to mischief."

"Please stop putting ideas in your brother's head," Laufey said quickly. "Having you two plot mayhem on a daily basis is quite enough."

The tone in Laufey's voice was so close to panic that Loki couldn't hide a smile. If EVERYONE thought he was perfectly innocent, then what WOULDN'T he get away with? The temptation was almost enough to make him nuts.

"Loki, please don't do whatever it is you're thinking of," Farbauti said. "We'd like to have a house still standing by the end of the day."

Helbindi and Bylestir both looked at each other and then looked at Loki, both of them wearing identical grins.

"I'm not thinking about anything." Yet, Loki thought to himself.

"If you say so," Laufey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "To return to your question, Loki, your life would have been...well, most likely it would have resembled your life on Asgard, to some degree. You'd have had lessons and teachers, you would have played with your brothers, and you would have grown up here at court. Once you were older, you would be asked to take on some responsibility in the government until I handed the responsibility of ruling on to either you or one of your brothers."

"It wouldn't automatically go to the eldest son?" Loki asked, surprised.

"The crown goes to the child most suited to ruling," Farbauti explained. "Sometimes that's a daughter or a younger son or even a nephew, cousin, or grandson."

Relief descended on Loki. He supposed, if the unthinkable had happened and it was required of him, he would have been able to rule Asgard if needed, but Jotunheim...he still didn't know. There had been times that he'd thought he might make a more level-headed king than his brother, but there had been a lot more times when he'd been relieved that he was a younger son and not destined to take the throne. When he'd learned that he was the eldest on Jotunheim, he'd been worried, but now, though...He wouldn't regret not having to rule Jotunheim. It would be hard enough to figure out how to live there for a year. "I see. Well, now that I'm here, what do I do? I mean, what do you expect of me? You mentioned taking on responsibility..."

"There's no need to decide that before we know your talents," Laufey said. "Plus, we'd like you to get used to being here before you have to take anything on, and there would be a few things you'd have to learn before you could do that."

"Like what?"

"History, to start with," Laufey told him. "The history of our people, what our world is like, how we govern ourselves..."

"You'll need to learn how to speak and write Jotun, too," Bylestir put in. "But don't worry. Helbindi and I can teach you that, and what we don't know, then our old tutors can teach you."

Foreboding settled over Loki like a cloak. He wasn't sure that he liked the idea of lessons. He loved to read and prowl through libraries in search of new knowledge, but sitting through lessons with actual teachers had been a challenge for him when he'd been young. They'd wanted him to sit still and listen to them drone on and on when all he wanted to do was find something interesting to read or be outside with Thor. "Couldn't I study on my own?"

"I suppose you could if you wished," Farbauti said. "But first, I think you'll have to learn how to read and write, don't you think?"

Loki nodded. "I suppose so. Could we do that later today?"

"Whenever you like," Farbauti said with a smile. "Did Helbindi and Bylestir show you the library?"

Loki nodded. "Yesterday."

"When you want a lesson, we'll have it there," she said. "Now, what other questions do you have?"

He thought about it. What questions DID he have? "Um...could you tell me the rules?"

"Rules?" Laufey repeated.

"What am I allowed to do? What am I NOT allowed to do? Where can I go, and where am I not allowed to go?"

"The palace is your home now, so you may go where you like, but it's also the home of a lot of others. As a general rule, we don't go into someone's private quarters unless we're invited, and they show us the same courtesy. The same goes for the guards' quarters. We don't interfere with the servants' work since they know how to do it best, but we do offer to lend a hand with big jobs when there's limited time in which to do them."

Farbauti groaned. "Are you referring to the mountain delegation? Oh, that was days and days of scrubbing, washing, arranging quarters..."

Helbindi chuckled. "Oh, I remember that. Bylestir and I helped in the stables, in the gardens, the kitchens..."

"You must have been busy," Loki said. "Who were the mountain delegation?"

"A group of individuals from people who settled in the northern mountains generations ago," Laufey told him. "They rule themselves, even though, technically, they are our vassal state. Every few generations a delegation comes to our court so we can maintain amicable relations with them, but this past year they took us somewhat by surprise. They had to change the date of their visit for some odd reason like the signs not being favorable for a journey, so that left us scrambling to get ready."

"How big of a scramble was it?" Loki asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Huge," Farbauti told him. "Three days of panicked scrambling and we were ready to receive them, but it's not an experience I would like to repeat."

It seemed as if it was a family joke because everyone at the table started laughing. Farbauti shook her head and gave a rueful smile. "I meant what I said, you three."

If anything, that made them laugh harder.

Helbindi took a deep breath after a moment and sought to explain. "Mother was in a state for the three days leading up to their arrival, but as soon as they arrived, she was as calm and unruffled as anything. After the delegation left, Father joked that she'd handled the whole thing so well that we should do it every year."

"It wasn't funny then, and it's still not funny, Helbindi," Farbauti told her son. "Really and truly."

Helbindi and Bylestir started laughing, and it was infectious. Within seconds everyone was laughing, Loki included.

Just like that, all of Loki's worry was gone. He wasn't worried any more about possibly being punished or their anger. Instead, there was nothing but good feeling all around. Emboldened by this, Loki asked Farbauti when he could have his first lessons in Jotun.

"We could do it this morning if you like," she offered. "Your brothers and I could teach you. I don't have any obligations until the afternoon."

Loki agreed and an hour later he was with the three of them in the library he'd seen the day before. The far corner of the library had been set up like a schoolroom, with a table and chairs, a blackboard, a globe, maps and charts on the wall, and a shelf of well-used books.

"Here we are," Farbauti said as she pulled two books off the shelf. "These were the books I used to learn when I was small, and I passed them on to you boys. Let's take a look."

Loki found a cushion for his chair and took a seat next to Farbauti, and Helbindi and Bylestir joined them.

"One book is for learning to read, and the other for learning to write," she stated, opening the books and turning to the appropriate pages. "Here is what our letters look like printed, and here is what they look like in writing. The first one is 'ah.'"

The worked through the whole alphabet that morning, with Farbauti pointing to the letters and saying them for Loki, and he would follow the written examples in the writing book so he could learn how to write them. Each time he wrote a letter he said it over and over to himself, fixing it in his memory. There were thirty letters, each making a different sound, and four symbols that would soften or harden a sound, and two stop symbols that clipped certain sounds. There were twice as many vowels in Jotun than there was in Asgardian, and it was hard for Loki to differentiate between the sounds when he tried to repeat them. He worked hard, though, and by the end of the morning, he'd managed to say all the letters back to Farbauti and write them. Helbindi and Bylestir both took turns writing words on the blackboard for him to copy and read back to them, and in that way he learned the words for 'father,' 'mother,' and 'brother,' as well as 'family.' He pretended not to see Farbauti wipe away a tear when he said the word 'mother,' but he did allow her to embrace him for a moment. The kiss on his temple surprised and pleased him. Frigga had done the same thing whenever she'd been proud of him, for whatever reason.

"You've done wonderfully today, Loki," she said when Laufey arrived to tell them that lunch was ready and that he didn't want to eat all by himself. "It won't be long before you're reading everything you want."

Loki felt a smile start. "I'm looking forward to that." He looked at a word that Helbindi was writing on the board and sounded it out. "What does that mean?"

Laufey and Farbauti both looked horrified and for a moment Loki was sure that his life was at an end. What on earth had he said? Fortunately, though, benevolent spirits were on his side.

"Helbindi! Don't you dare do that again!" Laufey growled as Bylestir fell over laughing. "Neither one of you! Do you understand!"

"But I didn't make him say it!" Helbindi protested, fighting a grin.

"You knew he would try to read it, you overgrown child!" Farbauti snapped. "You know how to behave better than this, son, and I know you know it. Apologize to your brother!"

Helbindi erased the word and gave Loki a sheepish look. "I'm sorry for tricking you, Loki. I shouldn't have done that."

The joke became clear to Loki and he fixed Helbindi with a glare. "Uh-huh." A twitch of his fingers and Helbindi was soaked by a sudden fall of rain. "Keep that in mind the next time you're tempted, you cowpat."

It was Laufey's and Farbauti's turn to laugh as Helbindi stood there dripping. "Oh, now you've got to teach me that."

Loki grinned. "No, I don't. It's lunchtime. Go dry off." He couldn't help chuckling as he hopped off his chair and headed toward the door. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but Helbindi and Bylestir could be a lot of fun.

* * *

Later that night Loki was preparing for bed. He'd been busy for the rest of the day with books-he'd looked through all the schoolbooks that were in the classroom area, and he actually found himself looking forward to reading them-and with going outside with Helbindi and Bylestir. They'd run around the gardens for several hours in the afternoon after tea, and they'd gone inside to dinner, exhausted by happy. After dinner he'd spent a few hours in the family sitting room with his Jotun brothers and his Jotun parents, talking and learning how to play a Jotun game. Moving his tokens around the board and hearing them chatter had been nice, and when Laufey and Farbauti sent their sons off to bed, he was happy to go. It had been a full day.

He was just pulling off his robe and slippers when someone knocked at his door. He pulled the robe back on. "Come in!"

It was Farbauti and Laufey. "Is it all right if we put you to bed the way we did the first night?"

Loki wondered if they'd ever not want to do that. He wished he could say no since only children needed to be put to bed, but some part of him told him that this was something he needed to allow, for at least a little while. "Since I'm just going to bed, that would be fine."

He pulled off his robe again and climbed into bed, and the two of them helped him settle in among the pillows and tucked him in. Laufey settled in on his right and Farbauti on his left, and she smoothed his hair. "I was wondering if you might like to hear a story before you go to sleep. Would you like that?"

A story? He nodded. Stories were always nice, and he was pleasantly surprised when she lifted a book and opened it.

"Now that you can read a bit, you can help me read it," she said. "What's the first word?"

Loki sounded it out, but it was a Jotun word he didn't know. "I'm not being tricked again, am I?"

Laufey chuckled deep in his throat and ruffled his hair. "No, that's the word for 'listen.' All Jotun stories start that way."

Listen. He could do that. He sank into his pillows and listened to Farbauti read aloud to him and Laufey, and he heard his first Jotun tale about how the stars came to be and how they sang to you while you slept. Occasionally Farbauti would have him sound out a word, and the words for both 'star' and 'sing' were beautiful. He was almost asleep when the tale ended and he felt the covers drawn up to his chin and a kiss on his forehead. That night, he dreamed of stars that sang and whispered wonderful secrets to him.


	5. Chapter 5

A Son Found 5

Loki's days settled into a pattern after that. He would wake in the morning, wash, dress, and put his room in order before going down to breakfast. He would have breakfast with Laufey, Farbauti, and of course, Helbindi and Bylestir. After breakfast Farbauti would send all three of her sons outside for an hour or so, for fresh air, she said. Loki knew that what she was really doing was letting them burn off some energy before Loki's lessons, so he was more than happy to go outside. They often went to the children's garden to climb, swing, and wear themselves out, but they also took him to the warriors' training yard, which was empty in the morning while they were drilling.

It had taken Loki a lot of explaining and pleading over the past few days, but Laufey and Farbauti had finally accepted that Loki had been trained as a warrior simply because that was how Asgardian men were raised. For a parent not to do so would have been seen as neglectful. They still didn't like it (Laufey still ground his teeth sometimes when Loki mentioned his training), but they did relent when Loki stated firmly that he still wanted to practice his warrior training. It had taken Loki, Helbindi and Bylestir a LOT of explaining and a direct order from Laufey, but the weaponsmaster, Kotir, had at last agreed to put them through their paces every other day. At first he refused to allow Loki to get near any weapon, but they were able to wear him down after a few days. Loki worked out against a pells, moved through forms with a wooden sword (a child's wooden sword, since all the regular ones were too large and heavy for him), and matched against Bylestir or Helbindi with a staff. The first time they did that, though, Kotir kept interrupting them whenever he thought they were being too rough with Loki. That ended when Loki swept Kotir's feet out from underneath him and pinned him down with his staff.

"All right, then, lad," Kotir said, picking himself up. "You've made your point. I'll let you bout as you need to, but if your mother or father complains of any bruises on you, you can explain. A bargain?"

"A bargain," Loki agreed, pleased.

After any bouts, Kotir would set up the archery range for them and all of them would fire at least fifty arrows. Kotir had found a bow that fit Loki and he was impressed that Loki was able to draw it. The first few times Loki found it difficult to draw, but then he grew stronger and he was able to draw it with no problem. He impressed Kotir again when he hit the bullseye fifty times in a row one morning. That won him a rare smile and clap on his back that nearly propelled him face-first into the dirt.

Another wash would follow, and then Loki and his Jotun brothers would head to the library where Farbauti would be waiting to work on Loki's lessons. Now that he had the alphabet mastered, the lessons consisted mostly of Farbauti hearing Loki read aloud, correcting his pronunciation when needed. She also began teaching him Jotun, and he had a bound book to write in. He wrote down the Jotun word, what it sounded like, and then what it meant. Along with vocabulary, he began writing down grammatical rules as he learned them.

"Why is it you speak Asgardian?" Loki asked after a week of lessons.

"Because that's what you speak," Farbauti told him. "We'll shift more to Jotun as you learn more, but most Jotuns at court learn Jotun and Asgardian."

"Why?"

"How many planets have you been to?" Helbindi asked. "They all speak Asgardian. If rulers want to accomplish anything or meet anyone else, they have to speak Asgardian. You'll see."

Loki was surprised to hear that Asgardian was a lingua franca, but he supposed that for right now, that was fine, especially for his purposes. He was sure that he would still be struggling to learn how to say "good morning" if the people around him had no Asgardian to speak of.

After a few hours of lessons, they would stop for lunch, and often Laufey was there. Some days he wasn't, and when asked, Farbauti said he was most likely held up by his work. He was there more often than not, though, and Loki had a strong feeling that Laufey made an effort to be there. He always made a point to speak to Loki and ask him how his lessons had been, which reminded Loki of Odin. His father had showed an interest in his lessons with Frigga, even if he hadn't really understood them. Loki had appreciated that his father made the effort every day, and it looked like such an action was common to all fathers, understanding of what their sons were doing or not.

After lunch there were more lessons, and gradually, Helbindi's and Bylestir's tutors were brought back to the palace for him. There was a tutor for history and geography, one for literature, another for mathematics, another for natural philosophy, one for rhetoric, logic, and philosophy, another for speech, and one who taught the arts. They never stated what they were going to study or insisted that Loki take notes while they droned on and on, but they did let Loki choose what to read or what he wanted to do and then they would discuss it with him and teach him when there was something he couldn't do. Loki _LOVED_ that and he found himself looking forward to his lessons every afternoon.

After he finished his lessons, they would have afternoon tea and after that, Helbindi and Bylestir would see to their responsibilities. Helbindi worked with with Laufey's comptroller, seeing to Laufey's estates and income. Bylestir worked with the councillors, helping Laufey's rule run smoothly. Loki was interested in what they did, but he only asked questions, he didn't ask to be taken along when they worked. He was sure they didn't want their "little" brother to tag along and getting in the way.

While they were busy, Loki would spend his time as he wished. He would go to the library to read, wander the gardens, explore the palace, and sometimes spend time with Farbauti. She and her three ladies had their own sitting room near the family dining room, and one afternoon he wandered into it by chance. When he apologized and prepared to leave, Farbauti asked him to stay since she wanted to talk with him and find out how he was doing. He spent a pleasant hour with her, chatting and asking her questions about things he didn't know. When asked, she would tell stories about Helbindi and Bylestir when they were small and even told him the story about how she and Laufey met. He'd seen her at a gathering one night and spent the next three months of his life following her around like a love-sick puppy.

"Did he really?" Loki asked, unable to see Laufey in that state.

"Oh, yes," she said. "I only realized what was wrong with him when he fell over his own feet one afternoon in the market. He wasn't able to look away from me and kept tripping. I knew who he was, of course, but I'd never met him properly. When I asked his name, he forgot it!"

Loki couldn't help it; he laughed. That was too hysterical! He wiped his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Has he done that since?"

"A few times."

He cracked up again.

He got his first taste of the "spoiling" he could expect for a living blessing one afternoon. It was after lunch and long before tea and he found himself hungry. His lessons had been limited to just one with his literature tutor and he now had several free hours at his disposal. Hopeful, he wandered into the kitchens. Farbauti and Laufey had both told him that if he became hungry in between meals, he could go to the kitchens and have a snack if he wanted it. While lunch had been good, he'd not been in the mood to eat much when it was served, and now he was hungry, so he braved the busiest room in the palace.

Work stopped as soon as he walked in. "Ah, hello, sorry to bother you," Loki said quickly as everyone turned to look at him. "Lunch was very good, but I'm hungry again, and I was wondering if I could get a snack?"

Everyone, both men and women, scurried to help him. He was ushered to a table near the fire and asked to sit down, and shortly he had a small feast in front of him. There was a mug of soup, a glass of mulled cider, some bread, a tiny egg pie, some sausage, fruit baked with cinnamon and butter, and three different types of cakes. Suddenly feeling guilty for all the trouble they went to, he ate it all and was looking slightly dazed when Farbauti found him. They'd seen his eating it all as a sign that he was still hungry, and they kept bringing more, and he didn't know how to tell them that he'd had enough.

"Well, I think that you've just spoiled your tea," Farbauti told him after she thanked the staff for taking care of him and bundled him up the steps.

Loki paused on a landing and took a few deep breaths. He was so full that he felt like a sack stuffed with mud. "I didn't know what to do," he confessed. "They looked so happy when I told them that I wanted a snack, but they kept bringing more, and I didn't want to be rude."

"They won't thank you for eating yourself sick," she pointed out. "Next time you ask for a snack, just ask for something specific, or trust me, they'll stuff you silly."

"Is that how they are with everybody?" If they were, he was surprised that everyone he'd seen so far had been so fit.

"No, dear. Remember, it's everyone's instinct to feed such a one as you. Everyone will protect and nurture a living blessing, so try to be a little more specific if you say you're hungry. Otherwise, you'll be stuffed stupid."

"That's how I feel," Loki agreed. "Would it be all right if I skipped tea today and laid down? I need to give my stomach some time to settle."

"I think that would be a good idea, Loki. Go lie down and feel better."

Every night at dinner, there would be Laufey, Farbauti, Helbindi, and Bylestir, and gradually, they began to have guests. There were members of the court at dinner every other night or every third night, and Loki was introduced to all of them. He met the councilors, the comptroller, the generals, and their wives and children. He was a bit self-conscious when the wives met him since some of them tended to...gush...and the children asked impossible questions about Asgard and how he'd been imprisoned there. Laufey was always quick to correct the mistakes, but Loki could tell that they were still going to draw their own conclusions. One night was particularly trying when Laufey's security chief and his wife came to dinner. How such an intelligent man had married such a stupid woman was beyond him, but she'd spent the whole dinner patting Loki or offering him tidbits from her fork and stating how adorable he was and how she longed to take him home for herself.

It was the first time he'd ever wished for a bodyguard or two. Both Laufey and Farbauti had apologized profusely after that dinner and promised him that he would never be left alone with that woman.

"It's okay, I just feel rather sorry for him," Loki said at last. It had been a monumental task not to cast an illusion on that woman. "How did they end up married?"

"His mother," Farbauti said honestly. "She had an iron will and decided that she was perfect for her son, and he wasn't really allowed to say no. He tries his best to be a good husband, though."

Nervous, Loki asked a question. "Do they have children?"

"Not yet, but let's hope they take after their father," Laufey stated.

Farbauti smacked him on the arm for such an uncharitable remark, but it cheered Loki up immensely.

After supper, if there were no guests to entertain, they would spend time together as a family, talking, playing games, or listening to Loki read aloud. He was getting better at that the more he did it, and he was happy with his progress. He'd read every single book of tales and poetry and every history and biography on the shelves in his father's library, but now, he was reading stories that he'd never read before, and he was reading poetry that was wild and deeply passionate in comparison with the poetry he was used to. He loved every word, and too often, he would get so far into a story that it would be time for bed before he knew it. Once it was bedtime, Farbauti and Laufey would send them upstairs and then later, they would be up to say goodnight to him. Sometimes they would read with him and other times just chat, but it always helped him fall asleep without a problem. In the morning, he'd wake up and go through the whole pattern again.

One day, Loki woke up early and found Helbindi and Bylestir in his room, both of them grinning at him. Immediately, he was concerned. "What is it?"

"Today's the Sun Festival," Helbindi said happily. "Your first one!"

"And what's so special about the Sun Festival?" Loki wanted to know. He wanted to put his head back under his pillow and go back to sleep, but he knew they wouldn't let him. Ten to one, if he tried to go back to sleep, they would both jump on his bed to get him up and possibly steal every bit of bedding. He'd done the same thing to Thor countless times when he wanted to be annoying.

"It's a festival celebrating the sun, and according to the calendar, it's an auspicious day for you to meet the people, and tonight, there's going to be a ball to introduce you to the court!"

Loki felt himself go cold. How could they spring such a thing on him like this? "What?"

"Get up, breakfast is ready, and it's incredible! Up, up, up!"

Loki groaned and pulled the covers over his head. This early in the morning, their enthusiasm was nothing short of obnoxious. "Wait until sunrise for this. I want to go back to sleep." More to the point, he wanted to think a little bit about this festival.

They pounced, he yelled and threw a pillow, and then it was a melee of pillows. Finally, Loki yelled that he was getting up and could he please dress in peace? He shot pillows at their faces until both of them left, the last pillow smacking against the door as they closed it. Now pillow-less, Loki pulled the blankets over his head and wrapped himself up like a caterpillar. Why hadn't they told him about this? He was going to be meeting tons of people, most likely at the festival _and_ the ball, and he had no idea how to behave at either. What if he did something that offended _everyone_? If he did do that, would Laufey and Farbauti be angry with him?

Worrying about it was accomplishing nothing. He flung himself out of bed, pulled on his warmest clothes, combed his hair, tucked a pair of gloves into his belt and headed down to breakfast, feeling out-of-sorts. He'd have to get through this day somehow, and it wouldn't be possible for him to do that by hiding in his room.

He arrived at the family dining room and nearly had a heart attack when Laufey scooped him up and hugged him, saying something loudly in Jotun that Loki didn't catch. "What's going on?"

"Just a greeting for the Sun Festival," Laufey said, giving him another hug. "It's your first, and we're delighted to be spending it with you!"

"I'm glad you're delighted," Loki said patiently. "Do you think you could put me down?"

Laufey chuckled, ruffled his hair, and passed him to Farbauti, who held him for a moment and kissed his forehead. They only put him down once they were done showering him with affection.

"Today's a very special day," Farbauti told Loki, keeping hold of his hand and leading him to his place at the table. "Sun Festivals happen only once every five years, and today is your first one, so it's a milestone for you. Children receive special gifts on their first Sun Festival, and today you'll be receiving the gifts you should have received before."

He wasn't sure how he felt about gifts, but Laufey picked him up and put him in his chair at the breakfast table and the others took their seats. In front of Loki's place was a long box tied with a ribbon. "This is...a gift?"

"Yes, but we should eat first," Farbauti said firmly.

Bylestir's growling stomach confirmed it, and the servants brought in breakfast. There were rolls stuffed with sausage and cheese, muffins and sweet pastries, whole, juicy fruits and plenty of hot tea. All of it was deliciously drippy or crumby and he could see the good sense of Farbauti's suggestion that they eat first. Once he was finished eating, Loki cleaned up with his napkin and sat back in his seat, replete. The servants cleared the table and Farbauti grinned. "All right, Loki. Go ahead and open it."

Loki sat up on his knees so he could reach the box and pulled it closer. He untied the ribbon, slipped off the lid, and...found himself staring. There was a wide golden silk sash embroidered with suns in gold thread and with silk fringe on the ends, and on top of it sat a gold circlet. "What's this?"

"The first gifts a prince receives on his first Sun Festival," Laufey explained. "You'll wear them when we go out today."

Loki wasn't sure what to think. His brother used to tease him about the helmet he wore in battle and at official functions, but he wasn't sure what Thor would think about him in a crown. "Just me?"

"Of course not!" Bylestir said quickly. "Everyone wears some sort of sash on the Sun Festival, but the royal family is the only one who wears circlets."

"And it is my duty as king to crown any prince," Laufey stated, leaving his seat. "Stand up, Loki."

Feeling a bit foolish, Loki obeyed and the rest of the family got to their feet and joined him. Laufey held the circlet over Loki's head, stated a few words in Jotun, and then placed the circlet on Loki's head. Farbauti then draped the sash across Loki's chest, crossed it at his right hip, pulled it around his waist, and tied it on his left hip to leave the fringe hanging down.

They were all smiling at him, and Loki felt decidedly...odd. He wasn't sure what they were expecting him to do. Was he supposed to thank them?

Laufey solved his problem for him by grasping his shoulder. "You look like a Jotun prince now, but you look like a very worried one. Are you all right?"

"I don't know how to behave at this festival or what to do, and I don't know what any of you expect from me," he said, unable to keep it back any longer. "What do I _do_?"

He didn't expect Laufey to suddenly kneel to pull him into his arms again and hug him, but that was what he did. He didn't expect the kiss on his forehead, either.

"There's nothing special you need to do," Laufey told him. "What happens at a Sun Festival is that everyone gets to…well, mingle and have fun. We walk through the city and any of our subjects can approach us, and we can approach any of them. These fancy trappings are just so they can spot us!"

Farbauti knelt down next to Laufey. "We'll ride into the city together, to the main square. There will be a stage for us to stand on so everyone can see us, and Laufey will announce a beginning to the Sun Festival. This year, he's going to introduce you. After that, we'll leave the stage and walk about and meet people."

"We'll do more than that," Helbindi told him. "There are booths set up for games, for food and drink and sweets, and booths with things to buy…"

"There are performances, too," Bylestir chimed in. "Jugglers and acrobats, magicians, wild animal shows, plays and pantomimes, storytellers, archery and staff contests, wrestling, races..."

Loki could feel himself calming down a bit. They'd had similar celebrations on Asgard. "It sounds like fun."

"You'll love it," both of his Jotun brothers promised him in unison.

That made him grin at them. "Promise me you'll show me everything?"

When they grinned back, Laufey and Farbauti exchanged a concerned look, but it was a clear testament to how much they trusted their sons that they didn't say anything.

"Now it's time for your next gift," Lafey said easily into the silence. "It's perfect for you."

"What is it?"

"You have to wait and see, it's a surprise!"

For a moment, Farbauti sounded so much like Frigga that he was homesick, but it passed as they went outside and headed toward the stables. Servants and workers were heading out the gates, but a few stablehands were there still there to help with their…mounts.

Loki had not ridden one of those beasts since Laufey had picked him up and brought him to the palace. He did not want to ride one of them again, but he didn't see a carriage or wagon waiting for them. Instead, several of the beasts were waiting with the stablehands, tacked up and ready to go. Laufey left them long enough to head into the stable and he reappeared a few minutes later with a sleek black riding beast in brand-new tack.

 _Oh, no_ , thought Loki as Laufey headed toward him. _Please don't let this be for me._

"This is your next gift," Laufey said, leading the beast right up to Loki. "Just for you, bred from two of our best lines. She's all yours."

Loki stared up at the beast and felt his heart in his throat. The creatures had always looked a bit ugly and bunchy to him, and up close they were no better. "Um...thank you, but I never learned how to ride one of these. What are they called?"

"They're called _vehos_ ," Farbauti told him. "Don't worry, if you know how to ride a horse, you can ride a veho."

Up close, the thing looked like an unholy mating of a gangly horse and a mangy bear. Carefully, Loki pulled off his glove and held his hand out for the veho to sniff. A moment later his hand was full of a velvet nose, hot breath moving in and out against his palm, and he found himself smiling. The veho pushed forward to press its head against his chest and Loki found himself scratching its face and around its ears. It whuffed and blew at him, and when he put his arms around its neck it lifted him from the ground, making him laugh. "She's wonderful!"

"You'll have to think of a name for her," Laufey told him, as he led Loki and the veho to the mounting block.

It annoyed Loki that he needed such a thing, but he really couldn't mount without it, and he tried to ignore the fact that Laufey, Farbauti, Bylestir, and Helbindi could all swing up into their saddles with barely a thought. He scratched along the veho's crest and thought about it. "She's all black, like the Mother of the Stars," Loki said, remembering a legend he'd read with Farbauti. "Could I name her that?"

"Noekta? I think it suits her," Farbauti said, giving him a warm smile. "Well chosen, Loki."

Newly named, Noekta tossed her head and pranced in place, eager to leave. Loki chuckled and reined her in gently. "I think Noekta's ready to go."

"Let's get going, then," Laufey said brightly. He led all of them out the gate and down the road, and nestled in the valley ahead was the city. Even from this distance Loki could see golden banners streaming in the wind and the sound of a band playing and people chattering. There were incredible scents on the wind and despite the breakfast he'd just had, Loki felt his mouth water for whatever was making those scents. Whatever was going to happen today, he was looking forward to his first Sun Festival.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The ride into the city was a lot more pleasant than the ride Loki'd taken with Laufey away from his old life. The sun was bright, the wind wasn't too cold, and he could actually hear a bird singing somewhere. Now that they were moving at a sedate pace, he was able to look around and notice things. There were the mountains in the distance, and beyond the road there were moors with little scrubby trees here and there. He'd thought that Jotun was nothing but rock, ice, and caves, but it looked like he'd been wrong. With the way the moors that swept away from them and ended in mountains, he was reminded strongly of Asgard's sweeping vistas and natural beauty.

The city was just ahead of them. There were other riders, wagons and carriages full of people, and plenty of people on foot. All of them wore brightly-colored sashes depicting the sun or the sun's rays. Once or twice people looked at them and then did a double-take, but to Loki's relief, nobody approached them, although a few people did wave. The crowds got thicker the closer they got to the city and by the time they reached the city proper, the only way they made their way through the crowds at all were because people made way for them. They entered the main avenue and then, it seemed, the entire city realized just who had arrived, because the crowds burst out with a cheer that nearly deafened Loki. He jumped in the saddle and Noekta shied, but fortunately she calmed down and followed Laufey's mount in front her.

People might have been cheering, but that didn't stop Loki from hearing what people were saying when they passed. It was a mixture of Jotun and either horribly-or-passably accented Asgardian, and everything he heard unsettled him.

"...the lost prince!"

"...looks like a proper Jotun prince!"

"The living blessing!"

"...didn't they _feed_ him on Asgard? What were they..."

"Oh, look at him! Isn't he _precious_?"

"He looks like a smaller version of his father!"

"Do you think he dances? Or sings? My daughters would adore him if he did!"

"They should adore him no matter what! Just _look_ at him!"

"Why doesn't he wear his Jotun skin?"

"...has his mother's eyes!"

"Yes, and his father's chin!"

"So handsome!"

"I hope he visits my stall...all those years on Asgard without proper food...the poor lad! I'll feed him up right!"

Loki wished that the earth could open up and swallow him whole. Hearing all of this was extremely uncomfortable.

Helbindi must have noticed how he was feeling because he reined up close to Loki. "Don't let it bother you," he advised his brother. "They're going to speculate no matter what, and a lot of it can get a bit...personal."

Loki thought about how much respect the royal family was held in on Asgard and couldn't understand the difference. "Why does it...I mean, why are they...?" He couldn't think of how to frame the question.

"Every clan on Jotun is related through blood or marriage or adoption, so there are family ties of some sort between everyone, and that includes the royal family," Bylestir put in as he joined them. "Everyone in this city will regard you as a distant cousin, and ten to one, they'll act as if you're a long-lost family member."

That didn't make him feel better, and he said so. "What are they going to expect from me?"

"Well, if you're looking for advice..." Helbindi said thoughtfully. "Since you're a living blessing, expect a lot of affection, especially from the women. People are going to try to feed you, even if you're not hungry, so unless you're actually hungry, don't even glance at the food stalls."

"Don't agree to sit down anywhere with anyone unless you're with us, because you'll have a hard time getting away since they'll keep you talking for hours, and you won't be able to see any of the festival."

"And don't show any interest in anything at the merchants' stalls unless you really want it, because ten to one they'll think you want it and they'll try to load you down with gifts."

Loki's stomach sank to somewhere near Noekta's hooves. He wished he were back in his room with a book. "You know what? I think I'll go back to the palace. You go to the festival for me and tell me all about it."

Farbauti must have been listening, because she joined her sons at that point. "It won't be as bad as you're thinking, Loki," she promised. "Trust us, all right?"

Her smile and the tone of her voice helped him relax, and he nodded. "All right."

They reached the main square then, and the cheering blocked out any further conversation. As promised, there was a stage, and Laufey led them all to it and they dismounted. Four short steps...well, four big steps that Loki had to stretch his legs to get up later, and they were on the stage and facing the crowds. The cheering was deafening and continued for a few minutes until Laufey raised his hands.

"Thank you for your welcome!" Laufey stated. "Today is a joyous day for all of us! The sun shines down on us, and it shines down on our lost prince! He has returned to Jotunheim!"

The wall of sound that erupted from the people below them made Loki feel as if he might be knocked off his feet. He could actually feel their cheering wrapping around him like a blanket, and he could feel the vibration against his bones.

Laufey raised his hands again. "Joy swells in my heart to hear your welcome! Today, I will look to all of you to welcome my son back to his home and to his people!"

He turned then and held out his hand to Loki. Feeling self-conscious, Loki took his hand and joined Laufey at his side. A second later Farbauti joined them on Loki's other side and took his other hand. He got a surprise, then, because both of them put an arm around his waist and lifted him so he could sit on Laufey's shoulder. The symbolism wasn't lost on him since they'd read a story recently about a father finding his lost son among the stars and lifting him to sit on his shoulder so he could be carried home. It wasn't lost on the crowd either, because the cheering that followed that little gesture nearly did knock him over and he had to grab hold of Laufey's hair so he wouldn't topple from his perch. He heard a hiss of pain from Laufey and then he was being lifted back down to the stage and set on his feet. A moment later, Helbindi and Bylestir joined them and both of them reached out to grasp Loki's shoulders.

Loki missed the rest of Laufey's speech, but he couldn't miss the cheering that picked back up when Laufey finished. As it faded away Loki could feel his ears ringing and he hoped that he wouldn't suffer any hearing loss from it. People dispersed then, and Loki was able to collect himself. "That was...loud."

"They're very happy," Laufey told him. "Of course they'll be loud."

For the first time, Loki noticed that Helbindi and Bylestir seemed...restless. Helbindi was shifting from foot to foot and Bylestir was bouncing on his heels. Farbauti was giving both of her sons a patient look and Laufey joined her.

"You two know the rules," Laufey said, looking both of them in the eye. "You're to stay together, and you're to watch out for your brother. You're not to take part in any of the races or bouts or wrestling. If you drink anything, not more than one in an hour. Understood?"

"Yes, Father," both of them said. To Loki's eyes, they looked ready to tear off into the festival.

Laufey knelt down to look Loki in the eye. "There are always these rules whenever there's a festival, so please listen closely, Loki. You are to go nowhere by yourself. You must watch out for your brothers. While no one would dare hurt you, there can still be trouble, so keep your eyes peeled. If you get separated from Helbindi and Bylestir, find a guard and wait with him until they can find you. Do not take part in any of the races, fighting bouts, or wrestling. People tend not to follow the rules for those, and your mother and I don't want you getting hurt. You can drink cider or beer or wine, but not more than one an hour. Do you understand?"

Loki wondered what Laufey would say if he ever mentioned the last drinking contest he and Thor had been a part of. While Loki had been able to drink Thor under the table, both of them had woken up with bad hangovers and they'd received a few choice words from Frigga about it. Odin had been a trifle more merciful since he'd provided both of his sons with ice packs and 'a hair of the dog.' No, best not to mention it. There might be bloodshed. "I understand."

"You'll be outside all day and it will be very cold," Farbauti cautioned him. "It might be best if you wear your Jotun skin for the day."

Loki remembered that horrifying shift of his skin and fought down a shudder. Then again, he hadn't remembered being cold when that had happened. It was a sensible suggestion and it might be a good idea as long as he didn't pass a mirror. "How do I...put it on?"

Laufey reached out and cradled Loki's face in his hands. Loki felt...something...shift inside him and the chill in the air receded. "Like that. Eventually, if you make the shift often enough, you'll learn how to do it on your own."

What could he say to that? "Thank you."

Farbauti held her hand out to him and gave him a leather pouch. It clinked when he took it and when he opened it he saw several coins inside. "What's this?"

"Spending money," Farbauti told him. "There will be things you'll want to buy, so you'll need money."

That was something he'd not really expected. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Have some fun today, all right?"

The warm smile she gave him made him smile in return and he nodded.

"All three of you are to be back here at the sixth ring of the bell, understand?" Laufey said firmly.

"Yes, Father," Helbindi and Bylestir chorused, and Loki nodded.

"All right, off with you, and have fun," Laufey said, clapping each of them on the shoulders.

Helbindi and Bylestir both grabbed Loki's hands and darted away, pulling him along. He did his best to keep up but finally he planted his feet and groaned. "Which one of you thought it would be a good idea to nearly pull my arms from their sockets?"

Both of them looked horrified. "Did we?" Helbindi asked.

Loki grinned at them, and shook his head. "No, but it was a close thing! What's the hurry?"

"Aldis has his stall set up nearby," Bylestir told him. "We always go there first, but if we don't hurry, there will be a crowd."

"And what does Aldis sell?"

"The best sweets you'll ever taste," Helbindi promised. "Can we talk about this on the way? Let's go!"

Loki could not believe that he was about to suggest it, but..."What if one of you carry me?" It wouldn't be dignified, but it would be fast.

Bylestir took it as an invitation and scooped him up onto his back, carrying him piggyback. Helbindi and Bylestir broke into a distance-eating trot that had them moving through the crowds at a pace that Loki found enjoyable from his vantage point. More than one person cast them a startled glance and then scurried out of the way. They recognized men on a mission and they didn't dare stand in their way.

The stall that was their destination was a wooden, four-sided stall with stools placed around it. A colorful awning provided shelter to patrons and an energetic man was behind the counter, stirring something in a large, metal pan over a roaring fire. The stall was already crowded, but two patrons handed their bowls back to the man and left just as Lok and his brothers arrived.

The man spotted them. "Ah, the young princes! I wondered how long it would take before you showed up!"

"Hello, Aldis!" Helbindi said happily as they took their seats and Bylestir set Loki down. "We brought our brother with us this year!"

Aldis bowed from behind the counter, still holding the wooden spoon like a scepter. "A pleasure to meet you," he said kindly.

"And you," Loki said politely, nodding his head. "Helbindi said that you make the best sweets I'll ever taste."

Aldis stared at him and then threw his head back in laughter. "Did he say that! Well, well! I hope I can fulfill your expectations, young prince! It'll be just a moment!"

Someone found a tall stool for Loki and he took his seat between Helbindi and Bylestir so he could watch Aldis. Aldis took a mound of white cubes of...something...and tossed it all into the pan, sprinkling golden crystals in on top of the cubes. Using the spoon, he stirred it all around and around, the crystals melting and coating the cubes. With a flourish he filled three bowls and placed them in front of the princes, adding a slotted spoon to each bowl. A second later three small bowls of water were placed beside their bowls, and Aldis bowed. "Enjoy."

"Like this," Helbindi said, scooping up one of the still-sizzling cubes and dunking it into the water, making something crack. The water hissed as it drained away from the spoon and Helbindi popped the cube into his mouth and chewed. "Mmmmmm."

"What would Mother say if she knew you'd made such a noise while eating?" Bylestir asked, scooping up a cube and dunking it in the water. A cracking sound followed.

"She wouldn't hear me since she'd be making the same noise if she were eating this," Helbindi insisted. "Go ahead, Loki."

Carefully, Loki scooped up a cube, dunked it, heard a crack, and put it into his mouth. The sweet was still hot, but the outside was sweet and crunchy with crystallized sugar and inside was light and creamy and absolutely delicious. He chewed, savoring every bit, and scooped up the next piece with more enthusiasm. "What is it?"

Aldis chuckled. "The inside is a sweet cheese flavored with fruit and berry juice, and the outside just plain sugar heated. It's a specialty from where I grew up."

"I bet the whole world is jealous of you for your childhood," Helbindi stated, dunking another piece. He grinned when it cracked and he spooned it into his mouth. "You got to eat this all the time!"

Loki turned all his attention to the glorious cubes in his bowl. Scoop, dunk, crack, chew, savor, swallow, and repeat. All too soon the bowls were empty and Loki was trying hard not to mourn when Bylestir said, "Now comes the best part!" So saying, he picked up his bowl of water and upended it into his sweet bowl, leaving the molten sugar left behind to crack and float to the surface. He scooped the bits out and munched away as his brothers followed his example. Loki smiled when the mellow taste of the heated sugar hit him and he swore to himself that when he went back to Asgard, the recipe for these sweets would go with him.

"Thank you, Aldis," Bylestir said as Aldis gathered up their empty bowls.

"Mmmm, thank you," Helbindi echoed, looking a bit dazed. "You are looking at some very happy men."

Loki gave a contented sigh. "You're here every year?" he asked hopefully.

"Every festival," Aldis corrected. "I hope to see you again."

Loki grinned and both of his brothers laughed. "I think you can count on it, Aldis," Helbindi chuckled. "How much?"

Aldis named his price, the three of them paid it, and then left their stools to make way for the next customers.

"That was good," Loki commented as they headed away from the stall. "I can see why you make that the first stop."

"Oh, yes," Helbindi confirmed. "Come on, let's go play some games!"

The festival had spread through the entire city, it seemed. The central plaza had main thoroughfares cutting through it from every corner of the city, and Loki figured that from above the city must look like a starburst. In the center plaza were the races and bouts, but down each thoroughfare were merchants' stalls, food stalls, and game stalls. Over the next few hours Loki and his brothers played game after game: darts, horseshoes, hammer throw, stacking a pyramid, and he tried to join a match of tug of war, but there was an outcry from nearly every bystander about that. He tried to explain that he was much stronger than he looked, but there was such a protest that he gave up and just cheered Helbindi and Bylestir on. He was alone for perhaps two minutes before a lady at a nearby sweet stall ushered him to a seat and plied him with "just a little snack, prince, you look peaked." How he could look "peaked" when he was _blue_ was beyond him, but the feather-light little cakes she was selling looked delicious, and he was more than happy to accept one and nibble it while he waited.

One game he wanted to try was the rope climb. You climbed a rope as fast as you could while someone timed you and if you had the fastest time out of three you won a prize, but Helbindi and Bylestir both exchanged a look and immediately steered him away.

"Honestly, you know I can do that!"

"That's not what worries us," Helbindi told him.

"Is it because Farbauti yelled at you when I climbed that tree?"

"That's exactly it," Bylestir confirmed. "Our lives are very dear to us, so let's find something else to do."

Feeling merciful, Loki agreed and they joined a ball and hoop game.

He was just starting to get hungry when Helbindi and Bylestir steered him through the crowds to a stall that was doing a thriving trade in...something delicious, he could smell it! "Please tell me this is where we're having lunch!"

"Oh, you bet!" Helbindi promised. "Let's get seats!"

There was no menu displayed. A woman behind the counter, like Aldis, cooked in a large metal pan with a fire under it. Loki could see something stringy and white...something grayish...what was this? Two minutes later he had his answer as the woman placed three portions into bowls, poured broth over each, and served them. What he had in front of him was soup, packed full of thin noodles, shredded vegetables, and slivers of meat. Intrigued, he picked up his fork and dug in and then dug in with more enthusiasm once he'd tasted it. It was incredible! Savory, with just a little spice, and the crunch of the vegetables was a nice counterpoint to the noodles. He wished his stomach was big enough to accommodate a second helping, but a normal-sized Jotun portion of anything was his "large" portion. Regretfully, he put his fork into his empty bowl and leaned back in his seat with a sigh. He really hoped that would be served at the palace sometime soon!

"Like it?" Helbindi asked as he finished his bowl.

"Oooh, yes," Loki breathed. "Do we ever get that at the palace?"

Helbindi and Bylestir exchanged a surprised look, as if the thought had never occurred to them. Loki had to laugh when Bylestir stated that they would have to talk to the kitchen staff.

They wandered the festival then, and while they'd been getting people approaching them occasionally, now it seemed as if people were out in force to say hello. They were positively swarmed once they moved away from the noodle soup stall. Men, women, and even some youngsters flocked close to say hello to Bylestir and Helbindi and to gawk at Loki. They were circumspect about it, but he knew they were all really there to see him. On Asgard, when people thought of "prince," they usually thought of Thor first and then Loki, but here, he could tell he was the first in everyone's minds. While he might have once wanted to be held in more regard than his brother, it was not a comfortable feeling. How had Thor lived with it all those years?

Loki realized for the first time that he had only the barest knowledge of how to greet different people on Jotun. He could greet the staff, of course, and the few nobles and dignitaries he'd met so far, but others...what was he to do?

They took the matter out of his hands. Before he could stumble over a formal greeting, most of the men would reach out and grasp his shoulders or clap him on the back. From the women, especially the older women, he got a kiss on the forehead or a hand smoothing his hair. From the oldest men and women, usually an embrace or a kiss on the cheek or both, and from the children, he got questions. He was starting to feel overwhelmed when a venerable old man turned to the crowd around them and shouted, "All right, now! We've got a festival to enjoy, and the princes deserve to enjoy it, too! Off with you until later!" He turned and grinned at the three princes. "Off with you now, princes. Enjoy yourselves!"

Helbindi and Bylestir didn't wait to be told twice and ushered Loki away.

"Is it always like that during the Sun Festival? People mobbing you to say hello at odd times?"

"Sometimes," Helbindi admitted. "I think, though, everyone just decided to wait until after we'd had lunch. Thirsty?"

"Oh, yes."

"Over here is always good," Bylestir promised. "They make very good cider!"

It _was_ good. Very good. Light and crisp and fruity with just enough alcohol in it to make any drinker feel pleasantly warm. It was a pity they could drink only one glass at a time of something, but Loki saw the sense of the rule. What fun would the festival be, and what sort of impression would you give, if you got falling-down drunk in public?

They kept wandering the festival, and finally they started touring the merchants' stalls. Loki followed Helbindi and Bylestir and tried hard not to be too interested in any one thing, mindful that someone might try to make him a gift of something if he appeared interested. These people had to make a living, after all, and he was determined that if he carried anything away from these stalls, it would be something he'd paid for.

"Yes!" Bylestir gasped as they rounded a corner and spotted a stall with a purple canopy. "Karon is here! Let's take a look!"

"Who's Karon?" Loki asked as they headed toward the stall.

"A bookseller."

Loki felt interest sit up and take notice. Yes, he could see books. Lots of books. Behind the stall, there was a wagon parked that looked like it held even more books. As soon as they got to the stall, Loki was looking at the books. There were books bound in leather, cloth, thick covers woven from reeds, and even some books that looked as if they were bound in silk. There were large ones close to the size of paving stones, ones that could fit in the palm of your hand, books that folded out like a fan or in pleats, and there were even books that were rolled like scrolls and tied with ribbons or cord.

They were absolutely beautiful.

Karon, a grizzled old man who moved about with the aid of a crutch, greeted them warmly and guided them to his newest stock. Loki headed toward the books that he could hold easily in his hand, and Karon joined him while his Jotun brothers exclaimed over this or that volume. "Are you looking for anything in particular, prince?"

"Not really," Loki admitted. "I've only started reading Jotun."

Karon nodded and ran his eyes over the lines of books. He reached out and plucked a mid-size book that would be easy for Loki to hold. "Take a look at this one and see if you like it."

Loki opened the book and gasped at the drawing on the frontispiece. He could see almost every color there ever had been in the world, and a few he'd never imagined. The drawing was a of three Jotun women and a Jotun man, who was asleep. The drawing looked as if he could reach out and shake the man's shoulder. "What _is_ it?"

Karon understood the question. "It's a technique called water-painting. Color is dropped into water, and then the page is treated with different powders before dropped into color after color, drying between colors. Not many people have the patience to do it, but when it's done right, it's exquisite. The quality on this one is middling, but it's passable."

Loki wondered what an exquisite illustration would look like, if this one was only "middling." Loki turned the page and ran his eyes over the words. This wasn't a book of wonder tales or a textbook like he'd been reading, this was a novel. His first Jotun novel! The narrator spoke in the first person and it was clear that the speaker was the young man shown in the drawing. "How much is it? And please, don't say it's a gift if I'd like it. You need to make a living, and I think the king and queen would feel a bit put out if I didn't spend the money they were kind enough to give me."

Karon chuckled. "Well said, young man. Ten and five."

"Done, if you'll show me how much ten and five are."

Karon chuckled, showed him, and Loki paid the price just as Helbindi and Bylestir showed up with their purchases.

After Karon's stall, they went to other stalls, returning peoples' greetings as they went. Loki had a few very uncomfortable minutes when a flock of young women his age crowded around him and cooed over him, and Bylestir and Helbindi weren't much help. Loki was starting to feel rather murderous toward the pair of them because they just stood back and grinned instead of stepping in and putting a stop to...what would any man call this? Feminine assault? In the space of ten minutes he'd been hugged, patted, kissed, his hair smoothed, his hair ruffled (of all things!) and he'd had no less than three pieces of...something sweet...popped into his mouth at different times. One girl was insisting that Loki try a fourth piece of something when Helbindi and Bylestir finally approached them. "We see you've met our brother."

A deluge of questions followed and how they managed to answer all of them was beyond Loki. Finally, they bid the ladies a happy Sun Festival and hurried Loki away.

"Why didn't you stop them sooner?" Loki demanded once they were well away.

"Are you kidding?" Bylestir gasped. "That was the most girls we've seen for ages! Petting you was keeping them right in our line of sight!"

Loki looked at his brothers in shock. "You two hounds!"

"Oh, yes," Helbindi sighed, looking supremely happy. "No chaperones...no formal manners...just beauty and the sound of their voices..."

"And their other charms..."

"I wonder what Farbauti would say."

Both of them stared at him in horror. "You wouldn't!"

Loki gave them an impish smile. "I'll have to think about it." The aghast looks they were giving him made him laugh. "Fine, your secret's safe with me! Is there a place where we can buy some gifts?"

"Lots," Bylestir confirmed, still looking slightly shaken. "What would you like to buy?"

"Let's wander and see if anything looks interesting. Can we do that?"

They wandered about, and Loki purchased a beaded necklace, a wide leather belt with a tooled silver buckle in the shape of a tree, a leather satchel, and a pair of gloves.

"Why did you buy those? The necklace is for a woman, the belt and gloves are way too big..."

Loki sidestepped the question neatly. "Is there anything you want to buy?"

They turned their attention to a nearby stall, and Loki let his mind wander a bit. He found himself wandering to the next stall to look at things, then the next...a few steps away from them was okay, wasn't it?

"Would the prince care to sample?" a reedy voice said nearby, making him jump.

It was the most ramshackle stall he'd ever seen. It was a board set across two boxes, and that was it. Behind the counter was a bent old man with a tatty blanket wrapped over his head. On the (he supposed it could be called a counter) counter there was a bottle and several mismatched glasses. "Sample what?"

"A glass of mountain wine!" the old man said jovially. "It is the most refreshing and restoring drink to be had on Jotun! Would you care to try some?" So saying, he pulled the cork from the bottle and poured some dark green liquid into a glass and held it out.

Loki took the glass and examined the color. It was like looking at a liquid emerald, and the aroma of the wine made his mouth water. He lifted the glass to his nose to get a better whiff and smiled. It smelled wonderful! He put the glass to his lips-

"DON'T DRINK IT, LOKI!"

Bylestir's voice raised in a roar startled him and he dropped the glass. It shattered at his feet and he mourned the wine as it soaked the paving stones. He didn't get long to mourn, though, as Helbindi and Bylestir descended on him.

"Did you swallow any of it?!"

"What were you thinking, going off by yourself?!"

"Did you drink any?!"

"Please tell me you didn't drink it!"

"NO!" Loki managed at last. "What's the matter with you two?" He looked past them toward the old man, but he was gone.

"That stuff's dangerous!" Helbindi growled, uncorking the bottle and pouring it out onto the stones. "It's dreaming wine! You drink a glass like that, and you're asleep for days or worse!"

"Days?" Loki echoed in shock.

"Drink too much of it, and you don't wake up," Bylestir added. "You're only supposed to drink a spoonful mixed in a whole glass of something else if you want to sleep with good dreams, but he gave you a whole glass by itself! What was he trying to do, kill you?"

Loki stared at them. "You don't think he was actually trying to do that, do you?"

Helbindi shook his head. "No. The most likely thing is that he's so old he's lost his wits and didn't realize what he was doing. I think that we're going to have to tell Father about this. If he's peddling straight dreaming wine, that could be a problem.'

"Could you avoid the fact that I almost drank some?" Loki asked hopefully. He did not want to hear what Laufey or Farbauti might have to say.

"As long as you promise not to go off by yourself again."

"Done."

A bell ringing broke into the conversation.

"Sixth bell warning," Bylestir said, sounding worn out. "We have to meet Mother and Father by sixth bell. Let's go."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They met Farbauti and Laufey back at the central square, where guards waited with their mounts. People crowded around, shouting their goodbyes as they rode out of the city and back toward the palace. For the first time, Loki realized how far the palace was from the city. Given what he knew about Asgard, where the palace was in the middle of everything, that just...didn't seem right. Wouldn't it be difficult to defend? "Why is the palace so far from the city?"

"Fighting most often occurs in the city itself and the fields outside it," Helbindi told him, reining back to ride beside him. "Since the king always joins the battle, the safest place for innocents is either the palace or the main temple. Both are at a distance from the city."

Loki nodded and almost filed the information away, but something caught his attention. "The main temple? Is that the place where Odin found me?"

Laufey reined back to ride on his other side. "That's right."

"Could we...see it?"

He saw Laufey and Farbauti exchange a look.

"Please tell me you won't forbid it," Loki said quickly, noticing their hesitation. "Is there a reason I shouldn't see it?"

"It might make you uncomfortable." Laufey sounded as if he he wished they were discussing almost anything else.

"Why?"

As one, Laufey and his two sons pulled off the road, followed shortly by Farbauti. "It's difficult to explain, Loki, but I'll try," she told him once they were all facing each other. "When you were lost to us, there was an entire year of mourning for you. Most of the temple resumed its original function, caring for the sick and injured and ministering to people, but a portion of the temple reformed itself into a memorial for you."

Loki blinked. "A memorial?"

"That, and a group of the clergy decided to devote themselves to praying for you and your return," Laufey added. "Every day and night, no less than five of them are on call, reciting prayers for your safety and your return."

Loki tried to imagine that and failed. "I see." He really didn't. "Has anyone told them I'm back?"

Helbindi and Bylestir both shook their heads. "I'm not sure if that would be wise," Bylestir added after a moment. "Once, one of us dressed up and pretended to be you, back from parts unknown, and…"

"There was a huge fit…"

"More like a riot…"

"And things got a little out of hand..."

"And we were confined to the palace for a month after that…"

"Closer to two…"

"We deserved it, we're not denying it, but we're not sure…"

"Just how they would react."

Loki gave his Jotun brothers a long, thoughtful look. Just how mad would Odin and Frigga have run if they had tried to raise these two? "Would now be a good time? I mean, you said this morning that today is an auspicious day for me to meet the people, right? We could go to the temple, I could meet these people, and I could see where...things...all started."

"It's true that today is an auspicious day," Farbauti admitted, looking him over carefully. "This is important to you, isn't it?"

Loki nodded. "It is."

Farbauti, Helbindi, and Bylestir looked at Laufey. He looked from his sons to his wife, to Loki, and then back again. "I recognize when I've lost," he sighed, giving them a rueful smile. "When the four of you decide something, a wise man realizes that he doesn't have a choice."

Loki felt himself smile. "Thank you, Laufey."

Laufey paused. "Loki, while we're in the temple, it might be best if you call us 'Mother' and 'Father' and address your brothers as 'Brother.' If you don't, they might not believe that you're actually the child we lost. They can get...upset...when they're tricked, as your brothers can attest."

"Testy might be a better word," Bylestir said as they pulled back onto the road and headed down it.

"Prickly."

"Annoyed."

"Angry."

"Furious."

"Enraged."

"Murderous."

"We were lucky to escape with our lives."

Loki laughed a full five minutes after that. Within ten minutes they'd turned off the main road and down a side road through some large rocks. The road dipped down into a valley sheltered by sheer rock on either side. The terrain was rough, but the rocks were the perfect camouflage if you wanted to hide something. Anyone looking this way from the fields or the city would miss the temple entirely and see only the rocks. It was brilliant. "How did Odin find this place?"

"Some of the fighters withdrew, trying to bring the casket here for safekeeping. Odin stopped them, took the casket, and found you while the monks were out tending to the wounded. One monk was supposed to stay with you and watch over you, but…" Farbauti trailed off, looking sad.

"If I ever find that man, he'll be lucky if he lives, in one piece or not," Laufey growled, startling his veho.

"Dear, please no bloodshed today. Not today, all right? It would be a poor ending to Loki's first Sun Festival."

Sometimes, Loki thought, Farbauti sounded exactly like Frigga. She was just as skillful at soothing an unhappy husband as Frigga was, Loki noticed.

The temple was behind wall of natural rock, with an iron gate at the front. Laufey reached out and pounded on the gate with his fist, causing a hollow _boom boom boom_ to echo around them. An elderly monk pulled open the door a minute later and bowed low as soon as he saw who they were. "Auspicious greetings on this day, your majesties and highnesses. How may this one serve you?"

"We've come to visit the temple, I, my wife, and our sons."

The monk looked up at that. He looked at Laufey, Farbauti, Helbindi, and Bylestir, and then his eyes lit on Loki. "Sons?"

"Indeed, wisdom."

The old man peered at Loki and suddenly his face was transfigured with a smile. "Oh! Oh, blessings upon us all! What a day this is!"

Loki did not expect the old man to scurry forward and pluck him from his saddle for a hug, but that was what he did, and Loki didn't grasp just what had happened until he was being squeezed breathless. That, and he was cuddled up against the man's chest, his hair being smoothed down while he was rocked back and forth. The whole time the old man kept up a litany of "Blessings upon us! What a day this is! Blessings upon us!"

Loki had enough after just a few minutes. "I hate to mention this, wisdom, but I'm having trouble breathing. Might I get down?"

Loki was placed on his feet, but the old man kept hold of his shoulders, giving Loki a teary smile. "Oh, prince! Please forgive this old man, I am just overjoyed at seeing you!" He gasped as another thought occurred to him. "I must tell the brethren! Yes, yes, the brethren must be told! They will be overjoyed!" As the old man shepherded him through the gates, Loki caught a glimpse of the expressions on Laufey's, Farbauti's, and Helbindi and Bylestir's faces. They looked rueful and just a touch amused.

"You did ask to come here," Laufey whispered to him as they followed their guide through the courtyard.

"I did, didn't I?" Foreboding was starting to settle in his chest. This might not be a pleasant experience.

The main temple was a large, open building walled with pillars. Colored glass windows painted the room with bright rainbow colors and incense smoke wafted through the air, making the place seem as magical as the Bifrost. The old monk shuffled down the central aisle to a group of men gathered in front of the altar, where he whispered to them frantically. A moment later there was a gasp and the men were on their feet, hurrying toward Loki. Seeing the oncoming onslaught, Loki darted behind Laufey and Farbauti, peeking out a moment later when silence fell. All of them were staring at him and then glancing at Laufey and back again.

"Greetings, wisdoms," Laufey said quietly. "Our lost prince has returned to us, and he wished to come see the temple. Please, try not to overwhelm him."

As one, the monks bowed, and the old monk who'd greeted them stepped forward. "We would be pleased and honored to show the prince the temple, Your Majesty."

He didn't expect the old man to take his hand and lead him around, nor did he expect the monks to flock around him like ducklings around a mother duck. He didn't expect the amount of caresses he was receiving, either. Touches on his back, his shoulders, both hands held, his hair smoothed and tucked behind his ears, and once, a kiss on his temple. They kept it up all through the temple proper, through the gardens, through the living quarters, through the sanctuary, the hospital, and finally, they ended back in the main temple. He couldn't ask questions, either, since they kept up a constant running commentary about how the temple had been built, the number of years it had been in service, the major feasts and duties, and how happy they were, that after all these years...

After an hour, he'd had enough. "Father?"

Laufey's attention snapped onto that word like a bilgesnipe. "Yes, son?"

A happy sigh ran through the crowd of monks.

"Which room did I stay in when I was here last?"

The old monk perked up immediately. "The Infants' Room! We can show you, if you like."

"Please."

The Infants' Room was a mid-size room off the hospital corridor. It was decorated in pastel colors and had its own range of rainbow windows, making the room into a lovely jewelbox. There were cribs and cradles against the walls and a sunken area in the center of the room. The cushioned floor and the toys scattered about it showed that it was a protected play area for the babies and toddlers.

"The room was destroyed in the war with Asgard, and we feared you crushed in the rubble. We found no trace of you," the old monk stated as Loki looked around. "You were our only child here at the time. We rebuilt it in your memory."

Loki mustered up a smile. "I'm honored, wisdom."

The old man gave him a watery smile and gave him another hug. He bustled them all out, down the hallway, and into the kitchens, where they were invited to sit in front of the fire while some refreshments were brought.

"They're going to want to see you eat and drink," Laufey whispered to him while the monks bustled about.

"Why?"

"So they'll know you're all right. Just make an effort, all right? They'll most likely watch."

There were few meals Loki had had that were more uncomfortable than the tea that the monks brought them, but at the moment he couldn't think of any. The monks brought them hata tea, milk, mugs of thick vegetable soup, hot rolls with butter, and sweet cakes filled with fruit and dusted with sugar. The monks watched every bite and sip he took and he felt horribly self-conscious by the time he declared he couldn't eat any more. The monks hurried to clear things away and Farbauti looked him up and down. "Are you feeling all right, Loki? You're not fatigued, are you?"

All of the monks whipped around in horror, and he heard two of them whisper that they should prepare a place for him to rest.

"Not in the slightest...Mother," Loki said quickly, remembering what Laufey had told him. "I feel fine." It was difficult to call someone other than Frigga 'mother,' but he could put up with it for now. Besides, he didn't want the monks to try to put him to bed for a nap or anything like that. They might try to sing him a lullaby, and he wanted to forestall that if he could. "Could we go on with the tour?"

There was only one thing left for him to see. It was the memorial grotto they'd made after he'd disappeared. A large portion of the garden had been replanted with flowers and herbs that evoked safety, good health, and homecoming, and a large mosaic had been tiled into the rock face. Helbindi and Bylestir and the old monk ushered him up to it so he could see it. It showed Laufey and Farbauti and a baby bundled in a blue blanket patterned with stars. Once, he'd been poking about in his mother's treasure box and he'd found a miniature of himself done when he was a baby. He, his father, and his mother had posed for the artist, and now, he was seeing almost the same thing here. There was Laufey, Farbauti, and himself-the poses were eerily similar. There had been a miniature with Thor done as well and both pictures had been attached to a gold chain so Frigga could wear them as a necklace. Other pictures had been done as he grew older and the miniatures had been tucked carefully away, but now, he was seeing his miniature as it might have been done had he remained on Jotunheim. "Who made this?"

"Father did," Bylestir whispered.

Loki stared at him. "What?"

"He did," Helbindi insisted. "Quiet, though, here they come. He doesn't like to talk about it."

Laufey placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "What do you think?"

Loki smiled and examined the mosaic. He could feel the need for his approval practically burning through Laufey. Well, he could be honest, at least. "It's beautiful. That, and I was a very cute baby."

Farbauti chuckled and kissed him on the top of his head. "You were adorable."

Loki examined the mosaic, fixing it in his head. Laufey had made this? _Laufey?_ He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

They took their leave of the monks shortly after that and the whole temple turned out to see them off, gathering at the gate to wish them well and encourage them all to come back soon. The monks pressed a package into Loki's hands after he mounted Noekta and he tucked it into a pocket after giving his thanks. They were well on the way to the palace when he remembered it and took it out.

"What did they give you, Loki?" Farbauti asked with interest.

Loki saw what the package contained and a chuckle fought its way up his throat and flung itself toward freedom. "More cakes!"

The guards at the palace seemed very confused when the entire royal family arrived home, laughing helplessly over a little package.

* * *

"We only have an hour before the ball begins, so all of you, hurry upstairs to wash and change," Farbauti told them as soon as they got in the front door. Servants were bustling about, hanging garlands and placing tables and chairs. "Your clothes should be laid out on your beds. Hurry up, now."

Loki hurried, and he found a servant in his room, brushing off his coat and checking his boots. He offered to help Loki dress, but Loki dismissed him. "Thank you, I can dress myself."

"Are you sure, prince?"

"Of course I'm sure, you must be very busy, and I can handle this myself."

"If you're sure, prince."

Loki wasn't so sure five minutes after he started to dress. He'd washed up and reached for the clothes, but then he found a serious stumbling block. The shirt, the vest, the coat, and everything else fastened together by ties and he couldn't figure out just how the ties went together. There were only so many ways you could fasten a coat, wasn't there? How difficult could it be? As he struggled for the next few minutes, he realized that it could be very difficult, indeed. What was he going to do?

Taking his courage firmly in both hands, Loki wrapped himself up in the clothes, grabbed his boots, and sprinted down the corridor to Bylestir's room, his bare feet slapping on the cold floor. He shivered as he got a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the wall. His skin was no longer a Jotun skin. No wonder he was cold! He knocked on the door and firmly told his teeth to stop chattering.

A fully-dressed Bylestir opened the door. "Loki?"

"I need help," Loki said, feeling rather pathetic. "How does all of this fasten?"

Bylestir stood aside so Loki could enter and between the two of them they made short work of the ties and toggles. "Didn't your valet offer to help you dress?"

"I thought I could do this on my own."

"Let it be a lesson to you," Bylestir said as he tied the last fastening. "Jotun formal dress is deceptive in its simplicity. You'll always need help."

"Point taken," Loki said, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked somewhat barbaric in the Jotun clothing, but it did look rather fine at the same time.

"Helbindi's probably waiting for us," Bylestir said as Loki slipped on his boots and fasted them. "Ready to go down?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Any advice for tonight?"

"I'll tell you as we go; Mother's probably worked herself into a frenzy since we've taken so long. Let's go."

Bylestir gave him a run-down on the etiquette he could expect that evening. Laufey would be introducing him to people, there would be food, and then there would be dancing. "Don't eat any food given to you by anyone other than Mother, Father, or one of the servers," Bylestir cautioned him as Helbindi joined them and they headed down the stairs. "Girls are going to try to offer you food, and if you eat it, that could be almost the same thing as declaring your intentions."

Loki almost stumbled and he grabbed hold of the banister. "I see. I'll be careful." He was a long way away from thinking about marriage with anyone. Also, he was a lot smaller than the majority of Jotuns. How, exactly, would the wedding night work…?

"The same caution holds for a lady needing a breath of fresh air," Helbindi added. "If a lady seems faint, summon a footman to accompany her outside instead of taking her yourself."

Loki stopped and looked at both of them. "Should I be worried? Why so many cautions in regards to the ladies?"

"It would be quite a feather in a lady's cap if she became engaged to a living blessing, and some of them might decide to be unscrupulous in getting you," Bylestir explained. "A lady tried to do something similar to me last year and...it got uncomfortable."

Loki felt his eyebrows rise to meet his hair. "Uh-huh. Well, I'm duly warned. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Let's go see Mother and Father and let them know we're ready."

The great hall had been transformed. Flower and greenery garlands hung from every wall and pillar, and a large fire crackled in the fireplace. Cloth-covered tables had been placed around the room and they were overflowing with sumptuous dishes and sweets. Musicians were setting up in the gallery and Laufey and Farbauti looked...magnificent.

"Loki! You look wonderful!" Farbauti said, her face lighting up with pleasure.

"Thank Bylestir; he helped me figure out the clothes. I was stupid enough to dismiss my valet before I dressed."

Laufey chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "A lesson hard-learned, hmm?"

"Quite."

A bell rang the hour then, Farbauti ushered the all toward the dais at the head of the hall, and the doors were thrown open to admit their first guests. Family after family came forward to greet them, and Loki shook so many hands that he lost count. After some introductions, some of the men would say, "Your Majesty, please consider my daughter" or "Please consider my younger sister" or "Please consider my niece." Laufey always thanked them politely and waved them onward.

"Please consider them for what?" Loki whispered to Helbindi when he had a chance.

"As marriage partners," Helbindi whispered back. "We're all close to marriageable age."

Loki felt his stomach drop. "Oh."

As soon as the last guest was greeted, Laufey led Farbauti forward and signaled for the music to begin. Just like that, he swept his queen onto the dance floor, and a minute later, other couples joined them.

While he'd been growing up, Loki had thought that Jotunheim was a barbarous place, with no learning, arts, or culture. It seemed he'd been wrong. The music was every bit as sophisticated as the music in Asgard, and he'd been reading poems and stories by Jotuns, and he'd seen an excellent example of visual art in the mosaic at the temple. It seemed as if he would have to re-evaluate a great many of his beliefs in the next year.

"Okay, now we can go out and mingle," Bylestir said. "Most of the ladies are on the dance floor. Come on. We'll introduce you to a few of our friends."

Their friends had the same penchant for mischief that Helbindi and Bylestir had, and he could tell that eventually, they would all get up to something that would get them into a great deal of trouble. He found himself looking forward to it all the same. Farbauti brought her sons food and drink then and cautioned them that they were at a dignified occasion and she expected some decorum from them. "Don't think that I don't see that glint in your eyes."

"We'll behave," Loki promised. "Besides, this will take time to do it _properly_."

She sighed and ruffled his hair. "All right, now I'm worried. Just try to leave the palace standing when you do it."

Loki couldn't resist. "In how many pieces?"

With that question, he knew he was "in" with his brothers' friends. All of them snickered or guffawed and as soon as Farbauti was gone, they clapped him on the back.

Shortly after that, the music changed to a stately dance, and Helbindi and Bylestir exchanged looks of trepidation. "What are we gonna do? I didn't know they were doing this dance!"

"What dance is it?"

"Mother and son."

Loki listened to the music and hurried forward to bow low to Farbauti. She couldn't be left standing on the floor while Helbindi and Bylestir dithered over who would step in. "May I have the pleasure?"

Farbauti gave him the warmest smile he'd seen yet from her and swept him into the dance. He caught on quickly: step, step, _turn_ , sliding step, step, step. "Nicely done, Loki. Where did you learn to dance so well?"

"Frigga," he admitted. "When I was younger I resisted learning with the tutor hired to teach us, but once Frigga stepped in, I learned quickly. She used to joke that I wouldn't be able to dance at my wedding if I neglected my lessons when I was young."

"She is a wise woman," Farbauti told him. "Speaking of weddings, has any young lady here tonight caught your eye?"

Loki stared at her in horror. "I wasn't speaking of weddings. Really and truly!"

"I'll let the matter rest, then," Farbauti said, sounding relieved. "I was nervous about that."

"You don't want me to marry?"

"Not yet. You've only just arrived home. A few years more, maybe ten or so, and maybe I'll be ready to discuss it."

"I doubt I'll be ready."

"You might surprise yourself."

Loki gave a mirthless chuckle. "Ha...no."

"Good."

When the dance ended, Loki escorted Farbauti back to Laufey, who gave him a proud smile and introduced him to a general...and the general's daughter. Loki had no choice but to return to the dance floor. The same thing kept happening for the next hour or so and finally Loki was able to slip away to meet Helbindi and Bylestir. At one point Helbindi liberated a whole tray of meat and mushroom kabobs from a server and they gathered in a tiny alcove to feast.

"Oh, this is good," Loki breathed once he'd put away half of a kabob. "How long will this go on?"

"Dawn, most likely," Helbindi told him. "That's why there's so much food."

"And I was woken up _early_ this morning?"

"It's tradition. We'll all sleep late tomorrow."

Loki grinned. Suddenly he felt much better.

"...and what I can't believe is that the king has done nothing!" someone said as they drew closer to the alcove. "He knows who kidnapped his son all those years ago and he let the pile of veho-shit go!"

"Lower your voice," a second man urged him.

"It's an insult to all Jotunheim," the first man hissed. "Not only has our prince been brought up off-world, he's been turned into a little Asgardian! Laufey should be doing all he could to stamp it out of him! We need a proper prince! How can we expect the benefits of a living blessing when he's Asgardian in all his sensibilities?"

"I'm sure the king will do what he thinks is best," the second man said. "Now, we should drop this topic of conversation."

The first man didn't give up. "If it were up to me, I'd be training him, morning and night until he forgot all about Asgard! The lot of them are sybarites and degenerates, and those who are not are mentally subnormal defectives! If I had my way…"

Loki was on his feet and stepped out of the alcove to where the two men could see him. Both of them fell silent as soon as they saw him.

Loki stared them down. "Come now, don't be shy, gentlemen. You were saying?"

Both of them fumbled for an answer and Loki waved them silent. "I heard all you said. What do you have to say to that?"

"Every word of it was true," the first man said. "If your father had any sense, he'd do what was right!"

"I see. Taking revenge on those oh-so-threatening defectives. Tell me, could a defective do... _this_?"

Snakes of fire bloomed over their arms and both men howled and dropped to the ground, rolling about to put out the flames. The hall went silent and Laufey rushed forward. "What happened?"

Loki explained in a few short words and ended the illusion. "They were maligning not only Asgard, but you, as well. I couldn't let it pass."

Laufey fixed him with a look that suddenly made him very worried. "And is this how a prince behaves?" he thundered.

"Uh-oh," Helbindi breathed.

"Not good," Bylestir added.

"I wasn't going to let them…" Loki began.

"You've already lost," Laufey snapped. "You let them get the better of you and you've disappointed me and your mother. You will leave the ball now and go straight to your room. I'll be up in a few minutes."

Loki glared at him. There was no way he was going to his room like a child! He was defending everyone's honor! Couldn't Laufey see that? Farbauti joined them and Loki turned to her, but she put a hand up. "Do as you're told, Loki."

Like Frigga, Farbauti was usually on his side, but betrayal struck him like a cold wave. Summoning what dignity he could, Loki turned on his heel and headed for the stairs. He bounded up them two at a time and stormed down the corridor to his room. He couldn't believe this! Here he was, sticking up for Laufey as if he were his own father, and he was sent to his room like a child! He was watched constantly, fussed over, and he'd put up with all of it while getting used to a new place and a new family and he'd had _enough_!

He acted on the thought before he'd fully had it. He pulled out his warmest cloak, his gloves, and changed his boots for his fur-lined boots. As soon as he was dressed, Loki slipped out of his room and down the hallway toward the back stairs. Once down them he slipped out a side door, dashed from shadow to shadow to the stables, tacked up Noekta, and then he was riding out through the gates.

He was going _home_.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 _This is what comes of being an idiot,_ Loki sighed mentally as he made his way through the frozen scrubland. _I've left the only warm place on the planet, I've lost my mount, I have no idea where I am, and I'm going to be an ice sculpture by tomorrow. Wonderful._

He and Noekta had made good time on their way to the Bifrost, or at least, that was where he'd thought they were going. Loki was just beginning to realize that it was taking far too long to get there and that nothing looked familiar when Noekta spooked at something, reared, and threw him. He landed in a heap in a scrubby bush and sat up just in time to see Noekta gallop off. He tried retracing their steps, but wind had erased any marks of their passing, and now he was beginning to be worried. Sometimes during the day Jotunheim could be pleasant with sunshine, but it was dark now and only growing colder, and the wind was not helping. He'd tried shifting to Jotun, but it had worked for only a second or two and he couldn't get the change to stick.

He was in trouble. If he managed to find his way to either the Bifrost or the palace, he was going to be in hot water with either Laufey and Farbauti or Odin and Frigga, but either way, he was not going to be welcomed back with open arms by anyone. He'd be lucky if either Farbauti and/or Frigga let him live for pulling such a boneheaded and childish stunt. It would be one thing to go for a late-night ride on Asgard, where he was familiar with the terrain and climate, but on Jotunheim, where he'd only been around the palace and in the town, it had been downright foolhardy.

Perhaps everyone would feel merciful to his corpse and provide it a nice funeral. If he was lucky. A fine ending for his first Sun Festival, wasn't it? If he lived, then he owed Laufey and Farbauti the biggest apology in all the realms.

Loki trudged along, his cloak and arms wrapped as tight around himself as they would go. Despite all the fur and fleece he was wearing, he felt like a walking block of ice. He couldn't feel his feet or hands or face, and the rest of him was cold enough to hurt. He looked around for shelter, but he was stuck with nothing but scrubby trees and bushes and occasionally a jagged spire of ice-covered stone. Perhaps he could use some bushes and create a lean-to against a spire? If the wind quit blowing long enough, he might be able to light a fire and keep himself warm until the morning.

An over-powering gamey smell hit him then and he froze in his tracks. What _was_ that? More importantly, was it _hungry_? He shifted around, revolving on the spot, trying to see what it was. He couldn't see anything in the dark but he kept looking, hoping he would see what it...was that a growl?

 _Prey runs,_ he reminded himself. _Prey runs, and you don't want to run and become prey_. Perhaps he could scare...whatever it was...away. Would a fire illusion do the trick?

A loud whistle pierced the air then, sending him to his knees. He clapped his hands over his ears and groaned in pain just as a cloaked figure rushed out of the brush to his left and hurried off towards his right. Something hidden in the scrub that way yowled in pain and he heard rustling and crunching as the thing ran for its life.

"Are you all right, youngster?"

Loki almost didn't hear the question due to the ringing in his ears, but he looked up and spotted the cloaked figure that had saved him. "Ahhh, yes. I'm fine."

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I got lost."

Hands reached up to remove the hood and he found himself staring at a kindly old woman. She smiled at him. "Well, you're not lost anymore. My home isn't far from here. Come on."

Loki got to his feet and brushed himself off. "That thing...thank you for saving me. What was it?"

"Mountaincat," she explained, turning and leading the way through the scrub. "They hate loud and high-pitched noises. They don't usually come down this far, but they must have scented a veho."

Loki's throat clenched. "Noekta! My veho, I was riding and she spooked and threw me…"

"Ten to one she's outrun them." The old woman didn't seem concerned. "Mountaincats are fast for short distances, but vehos are just as fast, and they have better endurance. I wouldn't worry."

Loki followed the old woman around some bushes, stumbled, righted himself and sighed. "I'm sorry, but may I know your name, please?"

"Ahna. And yours?"

"Loki."

She turned and looked at him. "Ah, I see. So you're the prince who was lost for so long."

"I was living on Asgard." He didn't know why he felt the need to explain.

"If you were on Asgard, how did you come here?"

"It's a long story."

"Best told when we're both inside and warm," she stated as they came over a rise. Down below them in a hollow was a snug little cottage, and she made for it. "I think there's a hot drink in our future."

It wasn't long before they were inside the house. It was a long cottage with stone walls and a thatched roof. There was a fireplace at the end opposite the door and a loft up above. Heavy furniture carved with different animals and filled with old cushions gave the place a lived-in feel, and Loki could feel himself relaxing. He and Thor often went to a tavern in town back on Asgard, and for some reason, this cottage reminded him of that place. It spoke to him of good times, good friends, and hours spent together with someone you trusted.

It made him feel oddly homesick. Damn.

Ahna showed him where to hang his cloak and where to store his boots and she ushered him over to the fire to get warm. Once he was installed in a chair, it hit him. The furniture, the house...Ahna was his size! "Ahna, I just realized. You're like me!"

She smiled at him. "Took you long enough, youngster."

"What's the word for what we are?" For some reason, he suddenly wanted to know it.

"We are _lalta_ ," she said as she bustled around the fireplace, making tea, sweetening it, and then handing him a large mug. "Careful, it's hot. Sip it slowly."

Loki sipped at the tea while she stirred a pot hanging over the fire. Savory smells of meat and vegetables wafted out and made his mouth water. "So, what is a lalta?"

"A lalta is a living blessing," she explained. "To have one born in your family is a great honor; a sign of favor from the Great Ones. The lalta were sent to us to remind us how to live and what to value."

Loki blinked. "That sounds like a lot to live up to."

She grinned at him. "It can be, but oddly enough, it's an easier job than you think. In the old days, when a lalta was born, he or she was often taken to live in a temple rather than remain at home. Once at the temple, they would spend hours every day in a single sanctuary room hearing the prayers and petitions of the people. After a few hundred years fewer and fewer lalta were born, so the people prayed to the gods and asked why the living blessings were leaving them. The Great Ones answered that they wished to send no more lalta to a place that isolated them from life and living things, so it was decreed that no lalta would ever be placed in a temple again unless he or she wished to be there. People decided to keep them home with their families and let them grow up as they would, and since then, they've been born every four generations or so. You and I are very special since we were born only a generation apart."

This was more information than he'd managed to get from Laufey and Farbauti on the subject. "I see. Thank you. Did people ever try to protect you too much?"

"Every day of my life, and I had to learn how to stand up for myself," she said, settling back into her chair. "Once people realized that I wasn't made of stardust, then things got better for me."

"How did you convince them?"

"I did everything they told me not to do. I climbed trees, climbed rocks, ran as fast and as far as I could, rode as many veho as I could...I was a very active child. My father was a worried wreck whenever I was awake and outside, but strangely enough, my mother was on my side and tried to get my father to relax. Eventually, it worked."

Loki laughed and shared Farbauti's reaction to the climbing tree with her.

"She sounds just like my father!" Ahna chuckled. "You'll have to remind your family that you're a young man, and not a child, but I'm sure you can do it. So, how did you come to leave Asgard and return to Jotunheim?"

Loki told her all that had happened: Going to Jotunheim to fight, meeting Laufey, being taken to the palace, the meeting with Odin and Frigga, the truth coming out, and then the decision that Loki would stay on Jotunheim for a year and get to know his birth family. Once he started talking, though, he couldn't stop. He told her about all of his misgivings, his worries, his feelings of being out-of-place on Jotunheim, and his behavior at the party that evening and what he had done. After all this time on Jotunheim, it was a relief to confide in someone.

"I don't blame you for leaving," Ahna said when he ran out of steam. "You could have handled it a little better, but after all the feelings you've been keeping bottled up and carrying around, how you acted doesn't surprise me."

"I don't know what to do," he confessed, distracted only momentarily by her rising from her seat and dishing up two bowls of whatever was in the pot. "I just want to go back to Asgard and have everything be like it was, but I know it will never be that way again."

"You're right," Ahna said, handing him a bowl of stew. "So, what can you do about your situation?"

Loki stirred his stew and thought about it. "I guess I'll have to apologize."

"Mmm-hmm."

Loki took a cautious taste of his stew and smiled. While it was spicy, it wasn't overpowering, and the flavor was wonderful! "How does one apologize here? Are there any specific things I have to do in order to apologize?"

"Saying that you're sorry is a good way to start. Start by apologizing to your parents, and if they insist on it, apologize to those two idiots who got their comeuppance early."

Loki swallowed his present mouthful and coughed. "I'll keep that in mind if I have to apologize to them."

Her head snapped up like a bloodhound catching a scent. "How long have you been coughing, child?"

"I...think that's the first time. Why?"

"It sounds like you're getting the low fever. Is your throat sore? Head hurt?"

The words were like a curse. "Umm…"

Ahna began darting around the cottage, fetching dried herbs from the roof beams overhead, collecting different jars, and then carrying the lot to the fireplace. There, she brewed another tea and added enough honey to make the tea more like a syrup. "Here. Drink this."

Loki set aside his stew and took the cup with some trepidation. "What is it?"

"It will keep the fever from hitting you too badly, so drink it quickly. Hurry up."

It was sickly-sweet and bitter, but he managed to get it down his throat. Another few bites of stew and the rest of his tea made the taste go away and he felt much better. Then he coughed again. "How fast does this stuff work?"

"It's never fast enough. You should be in bed. Come on."

She was right. She pulled a trundle bed from underneath her bed and rolled it in front of the fire for him, and soon he was dressed in an old linen shirt of her father's and tucked into bed. He was fabulously warm and he drifted off quickly, but soon he was woken by pain in his joints, a throat on fire, and his head pounding like a drum. Every time he coughed he felt as if his head were breaking apart, and it was hard for him to focus his thoughts on any one thing. His mind kept drifting and it was starting to frighten him.

"Good I got that medicine down you," Ahna said at one point. "This would be a lot worse if you hadn't swallowed it."

Loki groaned. "How long will this last?"

"The worst of it will last about three days or so," she said, putting a cool compress on his forehead. "After that, you'll spend a few weeks in bed, and you'll be weak for a few weeks after that, and then you'll start to recover."

Thinking about how long he would feel poorly made him feel even worse, and he pushed the thought away. A coughing fit followed, one so long and so bad that he felt pains in his chest, and he began to be afraid. "Is there any danger of me dying?"

"Deaths from low fever are rare, and they usually follow not getting the right medicines or care. Those are two marks in your favor right there since you've had medicine and you're being cared for, so don't worry, all right?"

It seemed he had to be content with that. Ahna sat by his bed and hummed under her breath as she wound wool into a ball, and he found the movements and humming soothing. He fell asleep again and he half-woke when there was a knock on the door. He heard Ahna's voice and a male's voice, and then he could sense someone leaning over his bed. Feeling as if he were swimming up from the depths of sleep, Loki opened his eyes. Laufey. "Hello," Loki croaked.

Laufey picked him up from the bed and held him. "Hello, son."

Loki could remember Odin doing the same thing when he'd been smaller, and there was the same feeling of safety and love in Laufey's arms that there had been in Odin's. How odd. He coughed and leaned against Laufey's chest, too sick and too tired to care who was holding him. He didn't want to move from where he was for the rest of his existence, he was warm and comfortable and...he jerked a little more awake.

"...and I got the medicine down him at the first cough," Ahna was saying. "He's been coughing a little in his sleep, but it's not been too bad."

"Thank you so much, grandmother," Laufey said. "I am so thankful you found him."

"No thanks are needed, Your Majesty. I would be pleased if I could visit him once he's better."

"You would be more than welcome."

Loki drifted off again for a few moments and then opened his eyes just as he heard the door open. Laufey carried him outside into the gray dawnlight. He was wrapped in Laufey's cloak, still being carried by Laufey, and he felt rather as if he were in a dream. He saw a squad of palace guards and vehos, and then someone took him from Laufey while Laufey got into the saddle. He was returned to Laufey's arms and then the next thing he knew, they were riding at a walk across the plains outside the city. He closed his eyes, and then they were riding through the main square. He closed his eyes again, and they were at the palace gates. It was funny how time was playing tricks on him.

"Welcome back, sire," a stablehand said, trotting up to take Laufey's reins. "I see you found him!"

"Yes, but he's caught the low fever," Laufey told him. "He'll be a miserable little prince for a while, but hopefully not too long."

"Hopefully not," the stablehand echoed. "You go ahead; I'll take care of your mount."

"Thank you." He felt Laufey dismount and then he felt movement as Laufey carried him across the courtyard and inside. When he next opened his eyes Laufey was heading up the stairs with him, and then through the family sitting room and into...oh, good. Laufey was putting him into bed. Perfect. Just what he wanted.

What followed after that were some of the most miserable days of his life. He was either freezing or burning up with fever, he coughed so much that he didn't want to eat or drink, and even when he slept, it was not well or for very long. He was not aware of much outside himself, but he did catch glimpses of Helbindi, Bylestir, Laufey, and Farbauti, and from time to time, the Jotun who bandaged his injured hand when he'd first arrived. He was given medicine-it tasted too bad and too sickly-sweet to be anything but medicine-and broth and tea to drink from time to time, but he spent most of his time asleep. He dreamed of home, and of Jotunheim, and he dreamed of his family and his Jotun family. He dreamed about all the things he'd been through and all that had happened to him lately, and finally, at long last, he woke up.

He could remember a few times in his lifetime that he'd been really ill. There had been the spotted fever when he'd been small, an infected wound when he'd been twelve, swamp fever when he'd been fifteen...he felt the same way now that he had after those illnesses. He was so tired from being ill that he had no choice but to rest, and the weakness that had followed those illnesses had ensured that he'd done just that. He was sure that he'd be doing a lot of resting in the coming days…

"Loki?"

Farbauti? Had she been by his side this whole time? He shifted a little and then noticed his surroundings for the first time. The bed was smaller than the bed in his room, and it was enclosed by curtains, and the thing that surprised him the most were the wooden guards on either side, effectively closing all sides of the bed. What..?

The curtains were pulled aside, revealing Farbauti, who smiled at him. "I thought I heard you wake up. How do you feel?"

Loki swallowed against a dry throat and croaked. "Tired. What happened? Sick?"

"For a while," she told him, hooking the nearest curtains back. "It's easier on your head if there isn't too much light. Thirsty?"

He nodded rather than speak, and she fetched him a cup of water. "Slowly, now," she cautioned him as she felt his head for fever. She gave him a relieved smile and smoothed back his hair. "Looks like you're over the worst of it. Are you hungry?"

The thought of food was almost nauseating, and he shook his head.

"You've not eaten since last night. I think it would be good for you if you tried at least a little broth and bread. Just a few mouthfuls."

"All right, then," he croaked. He could see he wasn't about to get any peace on the matter if he didn't do as she asked.

A servant brought a tray a few minutes later and Farbauti helped him sit up, propped him up with pillows before spooning up a bit of the broth and holding it out to him.

He stared at the spoon. "I can feed myself."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure about that?"

He lifted an arm to take the spoon but he had to drop it to the bedspread almost immediately. "Not anymore."

"The fever you had weakens whomever it hits," she explained as he swallowed the spoonful of broth with her help. "You're going to feel very weak for a while."

"I think I recall Ahna explaining it at some point. She offered me shelter when she found me. When did I get here?"

"The morning following the ball," Farbauti said, soaking a piece of bread in the broth for him. "Try this, now."

He managed half the bowl of broth and almost all of the bread by the time he couldn't swallow anymore. Farbauti settled him back against the pillows and pulled the blankets up to his chin. "I'm glad you're better. Most of us have this as children. For some reason, the illness is harder to get through if you're older, so it's no surprise it's hit you so hard. You've been four days in and out of fever. You've lost a lot of weight and most likely a lot of strength, and it will take you a while to recover."

Loki nodded. "Ahna told me. About...about when I left…"

She smoothed the covers for him. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did to those men, and I shouldn't have run off like I did. On Asgard, it wouldn't have been a big deal, leaving home at night, but here, it was a stupid move."

She nodded. "A very stupid move. If a mountain cat had gotten you, we might have found your bones, but little else, especially during this season. We'll talk about it more once your father finishes his duties for the day, but I, for one, am glad that you're home and that you're all right."

Relief flooded through him. She wasn't angry. "How are Helbindi and Bylestir?"

"They're doing their best to hover over you without appearing to hover," she said, smiling. "I had to actually order them outside so I wouldn't trip over them every time I left the room. They were worried about you, too."

Loki looked around then. The room looked familiar… "Where are we?"

"This is mine and your father's room," she said, lifting the lower curtains away for a minute so he could see. "Every time one of our children was ill growing up, we always had that bed brought in so we could keep an eye on them. Your father asked the bed be brought in as soon as he rode into the gates. More than one footman fell over his own feet to help, and plenty of the maids fought over who would fetch the bed linens. You've become very popular in your time here, Loki."

"Have you told them I'm all right?"

"Not yet, but I will."

Laufey came in then, and he gave a relieved smile when he saw Loki awake. "Thank goodness. You getting through the worst of this illness seemed to be taking forever. How do you feel?"

"Like a veho kicked me," Loki said honestly. "So, I feel better."

Laufey chuckled and joined Farbauti at his bedside. He paused when Farbauti kissed him and then whispered something into his ear. "Glad to hear it. Your mother says that you've something to say."

Loki found himself apologizing yet again for his behavior, but he stopped, confused when Laufey started chuckling again. "What's so funny?"

"You were babbling apologies when your fever was at its worst," Laufey explained. "Apology accepted, though. Your mother and I do need to talk to you, however."

Loki's worry ratcheted up a few notches. "What about?"

"Your punishment for acting in such a boneheaded and dangerous manner," Laufey said, becoming serious. "You not only risked your own life, but you risked those of the people who searched for you. The area where you were is not safe at night. Do you understand?"

Loki felt his stomach drop. "I...thought I was heading toward the Bifrost."

"That's not an excuse, Loki. Do you understand?"

He nodded. "Yes. How are people punished here?" He prayed it wouldn't be anything too bad or difficult. _Please, please don't let it involve a bow across my back._

"Stop frightening him, dear."

Laufey fixed his wife with a look. " _He_ frightened _**me**_."

"Is this the start of the punishment?" Loki asked to break the standoff between the two of them.

That made them both smile. "On Jotunheim, usually when a child runs away from home, people view that as the child not getting enough attention from his parents," Farbauti told him after a moment.

"So, the way the parents punish a runaway child is by giving the child a lot of attention and spending time with him," Laufey continued. "And before you say that it sounds more like a reward for running away, trust me when I say that it isn't."

Loki thought fast. "Spending time with you doesn't sound like a punishment."

He could see Laufey soften a little in response to that statement, but Farbauti wasn't fooled. "You say that now, Loki, but just give it time. You'll see."

"So, what can I expect?"

"You'll be sleeping in here for the next few weeks."

Wait a moment...He wasn't allowed to sleep in his own room? He wouldn't even get _any_ privacy at all? "Um...I will?"

"Oh, yes. You'll be recuperating, of course, but even after you're able to move back to your room, you'll stay here. If I'm not with you, then your father will be. If you go outside, then the both of us will go with you, and if one of us is not able to go, then you'll have to wait until we can both go. You'll have one of us with you while you're resting, while you're at lessons, and so on."

Loki looked from Laufey to Farbauti and back again, feeling like a man who's suddenly discovered that he's standing on quicksand.

"I think he's caught on, dear," Farbauti said with again.

"What about when I need to take a bath?"

Laufey started roaring with laughter when Farbauti blushed. "He's got you there, my lady!"

Farbauti gave her husband a light smack on the arm. "Well, I certainly won't be accompanying you _there_ , Loki. Your father can go with you if you feel the need for company."

That gave Loki pause and then he realized just what she'd said. "Oh, good." It looked like he would have privacy when it absolutely mattered.

A knock on the door brought them all out of their thoughts, and the door opened to reveal Helbindi and Bylestir.

"Hey, he's awake!" Bylestir cheered as soon as he saw Loki's eyes open. "How do you feel?"

"Like a wrung-out sponge, but that's an improvement," Loki answered. "Good to see the both of you."

"It's good to see you, too. You had us worried, brother!"

Both of them, so gracefully that it was a pleasure to watch, jumped and landed on his bed, carefully squishing him. He yelled and kicked, tugged on their hair, and ended up laughing. "GET OFF!"

"You deserved it," Helbindi told him with a grin, messing up his hair while Bylestir whacked him with a pillow. "You had us worried sick, so take your punishment, little big brother!"

Loki howled with laughter and they only stopped their rough-housing when Laufey and Farbauti called a halt to it.

"Got a surprise for you," Helbindi said once they'd removed themselves from Loki's bed.

"Uh-oh."

"It's nothing bad!" Bylestir promised. "In fact, I think what's in this saddlebag will make you very, very happy."

"As long as it's not something with slime and beady eyes, I'll be happy," Loki stated as they handed him the bag. He opened it and looked inside and felt a grin form on his face.

Letters.

"Some silly clunch at the Bifrost didn't think to send them on," Helbindi said with a chuckle. "When we rode out there the other night looking for you, we found those letters waiting. Thought it would do you good to get them now."

Loki could have hugged the both of them. "Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _Dear Loki,_

 _I promised both your mother and your brother that I wouldn't make you miserable by stating how much I miss you, so I won't. I will say, though, that I haven't had a decent game of chess since I last saw you. I also don't have someone who will distract your mother when she's determined to tell me off for something I've done or forgotten to do. There's also no one on my side when Thor does something stupid and I want to slaughter him. Half the time, Frigga beats me to the slaughtering and the other half of the time, she takes Thor's side. I try not to pass your room too often-no more than a few times a day, at least, and once every night. I open my mouth to tell you to sleep well, and then I remember. In short, son, I miss you every moment I breathe._

 _Your mother has been keeping herself busy. She works on her magic, she works with her ladies in waiting, and she is on the go from the moment she wakes up in the morning. I can barely get a word with her during the day, and at night, she's asleep as soon as she gets into bed, so my words have to wait. Your brother has found a less -successful way to cope with your absence: he gets up to boneheaded stunts during the day and what's left of him limps or crawls home at night to be put back together. Sometimes Frigga will show him sympathy, and other times she will complete the kill out of mercy. If he's lucky, then Frigga is merciful and he sees the next sunrise. I spend half my time being furious with him and the other half feeling sorry for him. I wish you were here to talk some sense into him._

 _If you were to ask me how I'm coping in your absence, then I would say, 'How well can a heart beat when part of it is missing?' A little maudlin, but it's accurate. I see to the business of ruling, I meet with my councillors, I am a husband and a father, and I spend a great deal of time missing you. I hope that your time on Jotunheim has been pleasurable for you, and I hope that your Jotun family enjoys your presence as much as we did. Please, a thousand times, write to us as soon as possible and tell us how you pass your days. I will be looking forward to that letter more than I can say._

 _With love,_

 _Father_

Loki leaned back into his pillows and read the letter again. Odin had never been a very demonstrative man when Loki had been small. A clap on the shoulder or the back, the words "well done, son," when they were warranted, and a rare embrace was the amount of affection he felt comfortable showing. This letter, though, showed him just how deep Odin's love for him ran. He wished he were on Asgard to give Odin a hug...and perhaps play a game of chess. He folded the letter and placed it in its envelope and pulled out the next one. He recognized Frigga's handwriting right away and opened it with anticipation.

 _Dear Loki,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well and that you've been enjoying your time on Jotunheim. I've been keeping busy, but I still find time to miss you at least once a minute. Your father is pretending that he's all right and so is Thor, but a wife and mother always knows. They don't want to admit that they're as much of a mess as I am-oh, drat. I didn't mean to include that, but I don't want to start another letter. Just forget it for now, dear._

 _Thor has been getting up to the most ridiculous past-times in order to distract himself from how he feels. He decided to try to ride a bilgesnipe yesterday. I'll pause now to let that sink in for a moment. A bilgesnipe. Needless to say, I was not amused when he came home. Fortunately, he was injured enough that he's not able to go out today or any other day for the rest of this week. He's been confined to his room to heal up and he's been complaining about it, but some recuperation won't hurt him. It has the added benefit of keeping him out of trouble._

 _Your father has been throwing himself into work. He's meeting with his councillors, looking over this trade agreement, that state visit, the ledgers, and so on. When he's not working, he's striding around the hallways in the palace, and he usually ends up at your room in the evening. By the time he makes it to bed after midnight, I've already fallen asleep, and he's up again in the morning before we can talk. Soon, I will have to schedule an appointment with his secretary just to speak to my husband!_

 _I've noticed that a lot of the staff are working more slowly now. They seem depressed and a few of them are downright disconsolate. A good number of the guards are the same way, and I frequently get questions regarding you. Please write back some answers for me. In no particular order, here are the questions your friends have been asking: How is Jotunheim? What will you do there for an entire year? Are the Frost Giants kind to you? (The guard who asked this looked rather grim when he asked it. I think if the answer is a negative, we may have a war on our hands without declaring it.) Are you eating enough? (This was asked by one of the kitchen staff.) If so, what is food there like? (I think they were genuinely curious.) The palace archivist asked what their library is like, if they have one, and if so, what are the books like? Would there be any chance of getting copies for the library here? One of my ladies asked if you were warm enough on Jotunheim and how they heat the rooms._

 _Now it's my turn. What do you spend your time doing? Could you write me a description of your days so I'll know what you're up to and when? It doesn't matter how small something is; I'd like to know everything. Do you have lessons? Do you have any daily duties to perform? What do you do when you have no obligations? What do you do for fun there? Do you spend a lot of time with the king and queen? What is your room like? Is everyone kind to you? Is there anyone who is not? Have you been eating enough? (I know what you're like when you're involved in a project; you often forget to eat!) Are you indoors all the time so you'll stay warm, or do you spend some time outdoors? If so, are the clothes we sent warm enough? Has more clothing been made for you, or do you need something more?_

 _This is all motherly fussing, but I've been unable to expend it on Thor due to his being a bonehead, so you'll have to bear the full brunt of it. I think of you all the time, even when I'm trying not to think about you, and then I give it up as a lost cause and let myself think. I can remember when you were a baby, when you were a child, and then as a young man, and those memories are a comfort to me. I'm counting the seconds until I can see you again, but until then, please take care of yourself and think of us sometimes. Have fun, be kind to yourself and to others, and the time will fly by until we can be together again._

 _Until then,_

 _All my love,_

 _Mother_

Loki put the letter aside and buried his face in a handkerchief. He was not going to start crying, he absolutely refused...A few minutes and he was under control of himself. He hadn't cried, but he still felt like he wanted to howl his sadness to the four winds. While he'd been busy and getting to know Jotunheim, it had been easy to avoid thinking of his homesickness, but now, he had ample time to feel it. Reminders of home had not made it any easier, even though he was elated at finally receiving some letters. He read Frigga's letter again before tucking it away in its envelope and finally turned to Thor's letter.

 _Dear Loki,_

 _Mother and Father have both told me more than once not to distress you by saying how much I miss you, and I promised not to, but they shouldn't ask for the impossible. I miss you. There. I said it. I miss you more than I ever thought it possible to miss anyone. A thousand times a day I find myself turning to tell you something and it's always a shock when you're not there. Do you remember our chats at night after Mother and Father had gone to bed? Last night I found myself headed to your room...and then I remembered. How am I going to last a whole year without talking to you?_

 _Father's been keeping himself busy, but I can tell he's missing playing chess with you. The other night I saw him pause outside your room. Mother's been keeping herself busy as well, but often I'll see a look on her face that tells me just how much she's missing you. What do I spend my time doing? Not much. I went hunting the other day and when I came home and you would have thought I'd tried to fight a herd of bilgesnipe all by myself with the way Mother acted. It was only one bilgesnipe. She confined me to my room to recuperate, but my injuries aren't that bad! So, I'm writing to you._

 _What do you spend your time doing? What is life like there? ARE THEY KIND TO YOU? (That question is very important. Please answer it honestly.) Do you have any siblings? How is the food? Do you have fun? Do you miss me as much as I miss you? Tell me everything that's happened to you, please. I really wish to know._

 _Plenty of your friends here have asked me to send on messages. The kitchen staff are anxious about you remembering to eat and they want to know if they should send you something. The guards all want to know if you're being treated well. The maids who take care of your room want to know if you are warm enough. And the Warriors Three and I want to know EVERYTHING. Please, write back as soon as you can and tell us. If they are cruel to you, or indifferent, all of us will mount a rescue expedition and damn the consequences. We are waiting for your letter._

 _Your brother,_

 _Thor_

 _P.S.-I miss you._

Loki grinned. Wasn't mounting an unauthorized expedition to Jotunheim what got them all into trouble in the first place? His brother was still impossible to reason with, but Loki couldn't fault his loyalty. He shifted in his bed and Farbauti looked up from her book.

"Feeling all right?" she asked.

"Just fine," he assured her. "Do you think I could sit up long enough to write a short letter?"

She looked him up and down. "Do you really feel well enough to do that?"

He didn't, but he wasn't about to admit it. "Of course. Just a short one should be all right, shouldn't it?"

She gave him a doubtful look, but she did help him sit up, propped him up with pillows, and fetched a lap desk for him. His hands shook just a little as he dipped the pen into the ink, but he was hoping Farbauti missed it.

The punishment he was receiving had to be one of the strangest he'd ever received in his life. True to their word, Farbauti and Laufey were with him at all times. While Laufey was busy with his councillors and giving audiences, Farbauti was sitting with Loki. In the morning, she would wake him with some breakfast, help him was his hands and face, and then she would wrap him in a robe, lift him from his bed, and place him on a sofa until the sheets had been changed. Then, he would be tucked back into bed and given his morning dose of medicine, and then Farbauti would read to him for a while, or play cards or a board game with him, and they would talk. Laufey would arrive in the family quarters for lunch, as would Helbindi and Bylestir, and they would eat at a table set up in the family room. Lunch was usually soup and bread, or small rolls stuffed with something savory, and there was always a light sweet with fruit for dessert. Once he'd eaten, Loki was more than ready for some rest, and Laufey and Farbauti would take him back to their room and tuck him into bed. He woke up about mid-afternoon and Farbauti would read to him again. Sometimes she would read stories or tales or poetry, and other times, she would read aloud things that Loki was supposed to be reading for his tutors. He didn't mind that since the material was usually interesting. Her ladies would arrive then for tea, and Loki found himself the target of much fussing and spoiling during that short meal and more than once, as soon as it was quiet, he would have another short rest before supper. They would have supper (more soup and bread, and soft things that were easy to eat for Loki) in the family room again, and Loki was allowed to spend a few short hours with Helbindi and Bylestir, talking about their days and playing games at the table. The two of them sat in regular chairs and Loki usually sat in an easy chair, cocooned in nest of pillows. Then, it would be time to get ready for bed. Helbindi and Bylestir would bid him good night and Laufey carried him to the bathing room and help him wash and dress again in clean nightclothes. Then, Laufey and Farbauti would tuck him into bed, and after reading one last tale to him, the curtains would be drawn around his bed so he could sleep. He could always hear the two of them talking in whispered voices for a while before he fell asleep and the sound of their voices became an effective lullaby. He would sleep like the dead all through the night and then he'd wake up the next morning to do it all again.

He'd been outside only twice during this time, and true to what they'd told him, both Farbauti and Laufey had gone with him. The time they'd spent outside hadn't been for long since Laufey had to go to a meeting soon afterward, but for a while he was able to lie on a blanket and a nest of pillows in the garden and feel the sunlight on his face. It had made him feel a good deal better, but he really wished he could go out more often.

The thing that annoyed him the most was being far too weak to walk. The first time Farbauti had moved to lift him out of bed, he'd insisted that he was feeling fine enough to stand and walk on his own, but as soon as he was on his feet his knees gave way and she had to catch him. The court physician said that it would take him a while to gain back his strength, but he was as weak as water. He found his recovery slow, and in the matter of using the necessary, while he was thankful for a footman's help, he still found it embarrassing to need help with such a simple thing.

Best not to include any of that in the letter. He didn't want anyone to worry.

 _Dear Mother, Father, and Thor,_

 _Thank you so much for your letters! They certainly made my whole month! I'm sorry it's taken so long to reply, as I was told, some silly clunch at the Bifrost forgot to send them on to me. I hope you weren't worrying, but things have been fine._

 _It is strange trying to fit in and get along in a new family. The first night I was here they kept staring at me as if they couldn't believe I was actually here. They asked lots of questions, too: what did I like to eat, what did I like to do for fun, what growing up on Asgard was like, and so on. I have two younger brothers, Helbindi and Bylestir. They're up to hijinks and pranks all the time, and they're as mischievous as anyone I've ever seen. Mother and Father, you would have gone mad trying to raise these two, so I'm glad that Father found me instead. Otherwise, Asgard would have been in trouble long ago._

 _They watch after me as if they were my older brothers, and not my younger. Every time we leave the confines of the palace they're watching me like a pair of hawks with extra-large eyes. They spend a lot of time with me and they've introduced me to their friends. They showed me every place in the palace and the gardens, and the last time we went into the city, they were with me._

 _I'm always escorted when I'm outside the palace. Everyone insists on it. I am what's called a lalta, and that means that I'm rare and precious-their words, not mine! Apparently, laltas are living blessings, and long ago the Great Ones sent them to Jotunheim to show the people how to live and what to value. Lalta are gifted magically and intellectually as well-last night Farbauti read me an account of a lalta called Asdirth who engineered Jotunheim's first machines. I loved every word. What does all this mean for me? I'm treated like a minor god, but I'm trying hard not to let it go to my head. People love to feed me and I have to make sure to tell them when I've had enough because otherwise, they'll give me more food than I can eat! I'm always protected by everyone-sometimes too much! Helbindi and Bylestir introduced me to the armsmaster Kotir, but he was reluctant to allow me bout as I needed to until I unfooted him and pinned him with my staff. He grinned at me and told me that I can explain any bruises myself._

 _That brings me to what I do with my days. In the morning I get up, have breakfast with the family, and then my brothers and I go out to work out with Kotir. Afterward, we wash up and head inside, and I have lessons. Farbauti began teaching me Jotun, and Helbindi and Bylestir's tutors were brought back to the palace for me. We stop for lunch, and Laufey usually makes it a point to talk with me about my lessons. After lunch are more lessons, and I have tutors for history and geography, mathematics, natural philosophy, literature, rhetoric, logic, philosophy, and the arts. I'd had no idea that Jotunheim had so much history and culture, but I guess you know only what you're familiar with. After my lessons are done we have afternoon tea and then Helbindi and Bylestir see to their responsibilities. While they're busy, I have free time, and I spend it exploring the palace or the gardens or reading. After free time is dinner, and then in the evening we spend time together as a family, talking, playing games, or reading aloud. After that is bed, and then the next day I get up and do it all over again._

 _I had my first Sun Festival recently, and it was an auspicious day for me to meet the people. Every family is related in some way, so I was greeted by everyone as a long-lost relative. Plenty of people wanted to feed me, talk to me...it was all quite incredible. I was given my own veho, which is a beast like a horse. I called her Noekta and she's very sweet, although I was nervous about riding her at first. Vehos are a lot like horses, only bunchier. At the end of the festival, there's an all-night ball, but I was an idiot and got angry at two men who were less than circumspect with their words. Laufey and Farbauti were quick to let me know I was out of line, though. I pulled a boneheaded stunt where I tried to go to the Bifrost to return to Asgard but I got lost instead. I got sick shortly after that, but don't worry, I'm already recovering. My regular schedule has been suspended until I'm better and Farbauti and Laufey spend a lot of time reading to me and making sure I eat and drink and sleep._

 _The food is very good. The meat can be spicy, so the kitchen has been preparing milder things for me instead. We often have soup at meals, even when I'm not sick, and almost every day at breakfast! That's taken some getting used to, but it's delicious, so it's not been difficult. At the Sun Festival I had a sweet cheese coated in hot sugar and dunked in water just before it was eaten, and for lunch I had noodles with meat and vegetables fried in a pan over an open fire. We visited the temple where Father found me and the monks there plied me with sweet cakes and plenty to drink._

 _As you can tell from this letter, everyone is very kind. The monks were practically falling all over themselves to do things for me when I met them, and I had plenty of people at the Sun Festival fussing over me. The servants here are very kind and often there are little arguments over who gets to do what for me. When I was well I did what I could on my own and I don't think they liked that. Now I have no choice and they're all a lot happier._

 _I have my lessons in the library, and it's just as large as the one on Asgard. There are plenty of books and scrolls and I've learned to read Jotun. I enjoy reading things here. The stories and poems are all new to me and there's always something new to learn. I can ask about getting copies for the Asgard library, Mother. Perhaps we could set up some sort of exchange? I'm sure people here would enjoy Asgardian stories as well._

 _There are fireplaces in every room, but with the way the palace is built, it's still easy to get cold. I'm always dressed warmly, though, so it's not too bad. Everyone makes sure I get the warmest spot in the room, and I'm always next to the fire, which is lovely. I think more clothing is being made for me since I'm in one place long enough to be measured and checked!_

 _I'd best close this letter now since Farbauti is watching me and tapping her foot. I promised to write a short letter since she doesn't want me to get tired, but I'll tell her that by Asgard standards, this is a short letter! I know it's not long enough for me. Please, take care of yourselves and try not to worry. I love all of you, I miss you more than I can say, and I can't wait to get more letters from you. I'll write more once I'm better._

 _Love,_

 _Loki_

Loki blotted the letter, folded it, slipped it into an envelope, and sealed it. Farbauti took it from him and promised him that it would be sent that evening.

"You know, that was a very long short letter, Loki," she said, tucking him in.

"It felt short to me," he answered.

She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I know, dear. Why don't you close your eyes for a bit while I hand this to a footman, and when I come back, I'll read to you, all right?"

Loki nodded. "All right."

By the time she'd returned, he'd fallen asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Slowly, Loki recovered. He took plenty of naps, ate his meals, and later, the family physician came to teach him some exercises that would help get his muscles back in shape. The man would lay a blanket on the floor, lay Loki on top of it, and then start the exercises. Loki had to bend his knees with his feet resting the floor, then lift his legs, lie flat and lift his arms, twist from side to side, lift his head while lying flat, rise up on his elbows, and then he would be rolled over onto his belly. He would have to raise his head and rise up onto his elbows again, turn his head from side to side, and then lift all his limbs while breathing deeply. Then, carefully, the physician would assist him to his feet so he could stand. They started with ten seconds, then twenty, then thirty. Never had thirty seconds ever felt so long to him.

It was exhausting. Such simple little movements should be the easiest thing in the world, but after an exercise session he was dripping with sweat and all he wanted to do was sleep. The physician would help him wash up and change his clothes and then he would be back in bed and dead to the world as soon as his head hit the pillow.

After Loki woke up from his rest, he would have a light snack and a drink, and then the physician would be back to give him a massage. As he explained it to Loki, his muscles were sleepy from the long illness and needed to be woken up. Loki didn't mind the massage too much since it was mostly pleasant, and afterwards, Farbauti would read some of his favorite stories to him.

When he wasn't enduring the exercises, he was with either Laufey or Farbauti. He spent a great deal more time with Farbauti since Laufey was always so busy with ruling, but he did make a point of visiting with Loki over lunch. Laufey was not as tactile as Farbauti, but he did like to talk, and sometimes a conversation with Laufey made Loki want a long nap.

When the physician declared him fit for it, Loki was able to spend time outside the family quarters. That meant that Farbauti carried him to the solar every morning so she could work with her ladies for a while. She would settle Loki in a nest of pillows on the sofa or in an easy chair and she and her five ladies would start working on various projects together. Farbauti and her ladies oversaw various charitable concerns for children and the elderly and Loki was amazed at the scope of their activities on their behalf. The ladies were tireless in their work and they managed not only to set up these programs and oversee them, but they also managed to marshal support for them among their friends and families. One of Farbauti's ladies actually had introduced a bill for the support of the poor into the court, and all signs pointed to it being passed.

With all the work the ladies did, they should have been very, very busy every moment of every day with no time to spare for anything else, but that didn't mean that things were peaceful for Loki. All of Farbauti's ladies absolutely _adored_ him and they loved to fuss over him. He could expect at least a hug from all of them at least once a morning, and more than once he got a cuddle or a kiss on the top of his head, and no matter how often he reminded them that he was almost grown and far too old for that kind of spoiling, they persisted in their fuss-a-thon. He wasn't used to being waited on hand and foot, arm and leg, as it were, but they insisted. They kept offering drinks, another pillow, little tidbits to eat, sweets, books, to play games with him, and so on. The easiest way to avoid the fussing was to pretend to nap, but often enough, those pretend naps turned into real naps. If he leaned back into the pillows, slowed his breathing, and closed his eyes, the noise level would drop dramatically and he would be left in peace in his pillow cocoon.

Loki received a visit from Ahna after he started joining Farbauti in the solar in the mornings. Her visit was during one of the rare times he was outside with both Laufey and Farbauti, and Ahna strolled right up to them in the gardens. "Well, you're looking a great deal better than the last time I saw you, youngster."

He would have tried rising to his feet, but Laufey kept him in place with a hand on his shoulder. "Ahna! It's good to see you!"

"Good to see you, too," she said, taking a seat on the blanket that Laufey and Farbauti had spread on the ground for him. "How have you been all this time? Doing as you're told?"

Farbauti chuckled. "For the most part, and taking naps," she said. "Lots of naps."

"Good to hear it," Ahna told him, patting his knee. "After the low fever, you'll need lots of rest."

"So they keep telling me," Loki sighed. "I thought I'd be better than I am by now."

"It takes a while," Ahna said, commiserating with him. "I remember when I had the low fever as a child. It took me a couple months before I felt like myself again, but slowly, I got better. You're already better than you were, and you're getting better all the time."

"I do feel better than I did when I first got sick," Loki admitted.

Ahna grinned. "See? Progress! What do you spend your time doing?"

She and Loki chatted for a while about how he passed his days and chuckled over the amount of fussing he'd been enduring. Laufey almost laughed harder than Ahna did when he described his trials and tribulations in the solar.

"They're going to fuss," Farbauti said sympathetically. "Better to let them get it all out of their systems now so they don't hunt you down later."

"I already feel hunted!" Loki protested.

That made all three of them, Laufey, Farbauti, and Ahna, start laughing, which annoyed Loki in the extreme. He lobbed a pillow at each of them, which only made them laugh harder. Their laughter was contagious and pretty soon Loki was chuckling along with them.

"Oh, dear," Ahna sighed as she sat up and took a deep breath. "I haven't laughed like that in such a long time." She chuckled again and wiped her eyes. "Your Majesties, I was wondering if I might ask a favor of you."

"You need only name it," Laufey promised. "Anything at all."

"Might I have about an hour with Loki? Just the two of us? We can stay right here while we chat."

Loki could tell that neither Laufey nor Farbauti had expected that, but they agreed readily enough. Telling Loki they would be nearby if needed, Laufey and Farbauti headed off to some nearby flowerbeds while Ahna settled herself nearer to Loki.

"I can't believe you got them to do that," he told her in awe.

"Lalta, remember?" she said, cocking an eyebrow at him. "I wanted to talk to you about some things you need to know, and I doubt your parents would know to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

Ahna went on to say that being a lalta carried a great deal of responsibility with it and that he needed to know what that entailed. "As you've probably experienced already, people like us right away and they love to do things for us. Usually, they're ready to do whatever they can for us. This can be dangerous both for us and for them. Now, think about that for a moment and then tell me why that would be."

Loki thought about it. People wanting to do things for lalta, and that might be dangerous… "Is it to do with power? Power corrupts?"

"Exactly," she said, nodding. "Very good. People never think that lalta would do something bad, so they don't expect it. It would never occur to them that a lalta's motivations would be less than straightforward. There's never been a lalta who's gone power-mad, but they _are_ masters at manipulation, especially if they feel that it would be in others' best interests."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, take match-making. Lalta are inveterate matchmakers. They like to see other people happy and so will encourage any blossoming romance they see in the hopes that it will make others happy. Now, can you tell me why that would be a bad idea?"

Ahna was as demanding as any of his tutors but talking to her was a challenge he liked. "What if they turn out not to be right for each other? Or, what if more people came along that would make them even happier?"

"Oh, it's good to talk to you, child," Ahna said. "You understand. Others rarely do. There are other things, as well, especially in your position. What if you heard of a proposed law that you felt would benefit a lot of people? You could use your status and abilities as a lalta to convince your father and his councillors to pass that law, but then it turns out to actually cause problems in a few years."

Loki nodded, understanding. "I see. So, if I feel the urge to meddle in something, I shouldn't?"

"Not unless you are very, very sure that it is the right thing to do. Now, manipulation can also be a defense."

"A defense? How?"

"We can use it to protect ourselves against others. Since we are smaller in stature, we can be in danger if we're away from our families and those who know us."

"I thought no one would dare hurt a lalta," Loki said, remembering what his Jotun family had told him about living blessings.

"Oh, no, no one would _dare_ , but there _are_ dangers. While we're on the topic of dangers, I'm thinking about when you and I met. You should have your brothers teach you to use a pierce-whistle. That will drive away most beasties that might want to take a bite out of you if you're out in the wilds, but that's just a bit of common sense. No, these dangers will come from other people."

"How so?"

"You've heard it said that for a community to have a living blessing is a sign of favor, correct?"

What his Jotun family had told him and the stories he'd read were very clear on that point. "Yes."

"Well, some people may try to make you part of their community whether you want to or not," Ahna explained. "That almost happened a few times to me when I was young, but fortunately, my family and village were vigilant and they were able to protect me."

Loki felt a chill settle over him. For some reason, this conversation was setting off some alarm bells. "What happened?"

"Mostly it was someone trying to coax me away from home. A man came by, asking if I had seen his pet and asking if I could help him find it...another person came a few months later selling sweets...and a third came, stating that my father was injured and he needed my help." She chuckled. "I was lucky that I avoided being caught like that. Fortunately, I wasn't easily fooled and my parents had figured out a lot of ways to keep me safe if they couldn't be with me, so I didn't fall for that last one. The first one almost got me since I love animals, but I wondered why he wasn't asking an adult for help, and the second, well, I didn't really care for the sweets she was selling. Like I said, lucky!"

"I see," Loki said thoughtfully. "People here would really stoop to kidnapping a lalta?"

"If they were desperate enough, certainly. At first, that was one of the reasons the temples took the lalta in when they were young, so they could be kept safe from unscrupulous people. Occasionally lalta have been taken from their homes, but they're almost always returned safely once people start searching for them, but there have been a few who've not been found. The people who take them tend to blend in and they'll approach a lalta at any time, especially if there's a lot going on to distract the people around them."

"And if someone managed to take me, what should I do?"

"Make them regret it! Act frightened of them all the time, draw away if they try to comfort you, and manipulate them for all you're worth! They'll want you to be happy with them, but acting that way will make them panic when nothing they do makes you happy. You can spin stories and they'll believe every word you say, and soon they won't know truth from lie. You can make them very, very confused and they'll be working so hard to stay on an even keel and make you happy that you can find ways to escape them. The only way they'll be able to keep you under control is drug you with dreaming wine, and only the most desperate try that."

The chill that had settled on him went straight to his bones and he felt the blood leave his face. Ahna noticed right away. "What's wrong, child?"

Loki shot a nervous glance toward Laufey and Farbauti. "Um...at the Sun Festival. I was with Helbindi and Bylestir, and while they were busy at a stall, I...wandered a bit. There was this ramshackle little stall selling wine, and the man there offered me some to sample. Helbindi and Bylestir were able to stop me before I drank any of it, but it turned out he was offering undiluted dreaming wine. Once they showed up, he disappeared, but...what you've been telling me about made me think of him."

Ahna nodded, looking serious. "We should tell your parents this."

Loki could see only very bad things coming from that. "Ah, do we have to? I mean, Helbindi and Bylestir stopped me from drinking the wine in time..."

"And what if next time they're too late?" Ahna countered. "No, your parents need to know. We can tell them together."

"They're not going to be happy."

"I know," Ahna sighed. "My parents did _not_ take it well when they learned how close I came to the same thing. If you'd like some advice…"

"Advice?"

"To help them take it better."

If anything could help this situation, he'd do it. "Please."

"Act frightened when we tell them. It would be the best thing to do in this situation."

He understood the words but they did not make sense in their present context. "Wouldn't that make things worse?"

"If anything, it will increase your chances of getting through this without them flying off the handle," Ahna insisted. "They'll be so focused on comforting you that they won't become angry that you didn't mention this before. That will make this easier for them to handle, trust me."

Finally, Loki fully understood just what Ahna had been telling him and the depths of power that lalta had. Here they both were, using the persuasive powers of the lalta to trick Laufey and Farbauti into not getting angry. After a deep sigh, he nodded. He didn't want Farbauti and Laufey to be more upset than they needed to be, especially when they needed to know something. She was right; this was the best thing to do.

Ahna called Farbauti and Laufey back. As soon as they sat down Loki moved between them and wrapped his arms around them both as best he could. Then, he let go of Laufey and hugged Farbauti tightly, hiding his face against her shoulder.

He felt her stiffen in concern. "Loki? What's the matter?"

Ahna explained then what had happened, and Loki felt Farbauti's arms go around him and Laufey wrapped them both in a hug. "Son, why didn't you tell us before?"

"I didn't realize that it was important," Loki said quietly, still hugging Farbauti. Then, he glanced up at Laufey and leaned against his chest. "I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."

Ahna had been right. Both Laufey and Farbauti were far too busy comforting him to be angry. Laufey didn't usually get too demonstrative physically (just like Odin) but there the Jotun King was, holding him close and speaking a litany of assurances that no, he wasn't mad in the least and that nothing bad would happen and that things would be all right no matter what. Once Laufey released him Farbauti scooped him up in a hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek, telling him that there was no way in the world she could be angry over such a little thing and how was he supposed to know what was good and what was bad when he'd only just come…

He felt like a worm. Like a slimy, ground-crawling, dirt-eating _worm_. The chagrin building up in him was enough to choke him. Just like that, without a second thought, he'd manipulated them to get out of trouble and...oh. It looked like lalta abilities worked on other lalta as well. Ahna had certainly manipulated him well enough to help him learn an important lesson. If a lalta chose to use their manipulative abilities, it was a safe bet to say that anyone else didn't have a prayer of resisting. This was a lesson into just how powerful he could be and a cautionary lesson against using the abilities he had against others.

"Thank you," Loki said as soon they calmed down long enough to hear him. He slipped his hands into theirs and smiled. "I feel better now."

It appeared there were a few times when he could expect a sudden hug, and this was one of those times. Laufey and Farbauti both hugged him, and Laufey ruffled his hair.

Talk turned to other matters, but Laufey and Farbauti refused to let go of him. It looked like manipulating them had had an unintended side-effect. They kept hold of him until Ahna got ready to go.

"You would be welcome to stay, of course," Laufey offered.

"No, I've got to get home," Ahna told him. "But thank you all the same, Your Majesty. May I stop by again to visit with Loki?"

"Anytime!" Farbauti said happily. "We'll all look forward to it!"

"And so will I," Ahna said. "I will see all of you soon."

They waved goodbye as Ahna headed out of the gardens and back toward her home. Laufey lifted Loki onto his shoulder so he could watch, and together the three of them went inside.

* * *

As Loki lay in bed that night, he marveled at how quickly he'd gotten used to his new life. He not only respected Laufey and Farbauti, but he liked them, which was something he'd never expected. He liked Helbindi and Bylestir, too. He'd been dropped right into the center of their family by Fate and before he realized it, he was one of them and he felt at home. A large part of him felt disloyal to his family on Asgard, but he could remember Frigga telling him once that there was always more love in a person's heart no matter how many people they loved. There was never a limit on the amount of love a person's heart could hold. It looked like it was true.

At dinner that night Laufey and Farbauti gave Helbindi and Bylestir a talking-to about not sharing what had happened at the Sun Festival, but it wasn't a harsh talking-to, for which Loki was thankful. His brothers both apologized and promised to be more vigilant in the future, and Loki promised not to go off by himself.

After dinner, they sat together in the sitting room, chatting and relaxing after a long day. Laufey read to them from the book of children's wonder tales that Bylestir had shown him during their tour of the palace on Loki's first full day there. The story was both thrilling and touching and Loki sighed happily once it was concluded, and then he yawned.

"I think that's a sign, don't you, dear?" Farbauti said, noticing Loki's yawn.

Laufey gave his wife a fond smile. "I think so. Time for bed, boys."

"After one more story?" Loki asked hopefully.

"No, right now," Laufey said with a chuckle. "The stars are dropping dreams for us. Don't you want to catch them?" So saying, he lifted Loki from his nest of pillows and headed out of the room, Farbauti, Helbindi, and Bylestir following.

They all said goodnight at Laufey and Farbauti's door and Helbindi and Bylestir headed for their rooms. With Laufey's help, Loki washed up and changed into nightclothes in the bathroom and at Farbauti's insistence, he walked across the bedroom to his bed, Farbauti and Laufey holding onto his hands to support him.

"That's the first time I managed that," he panted as they helped him into bed.

"Like Ahna said, you're getting stronger all the time," Farbauti told him as she and Laufey tucked him in. "Soon you'll be back to running around, and I'll have gray hair."

"I'd have thought you'd have it already due to our younger sons," Laufey joked.

"Well, if they get up to anything truly horrific, we'll move them in here, where we can keep an eye on them."

"We'd have to move Loki back to his room first," Laufey reminded her.

"I think I'll miss hearing you two chatter," Lok said with a smile. "But it might be nice to be in my own room again. You snore."

Laufey looked affronted. "What?"

"Not you," Loki said, giving the both of them as innocent a smile as he could.

Farbauti stared at him in indignation. "I do not!'

Loki's laugh was all the answer she needed, and she gave him a tap on the head with her knuckles. "Time to go to sleep, you beloved little imp. Fair dreams until the morning."

"Fair dreams."

Laufey drew the curtains around his bed and he could hear the two of them whispering as they got ready for bed. He was drifting on the edge of sleep when he heard his name.

"Do you think it will really be all right to take Loki?" Farbauti asked. "Midsummer usually draws a large crowd, especially at the temple, and now that he's back…"

"If we try to protect him too much it will only end up isolating him, which would be bad all around, love," Laufey whispered back. "No, we'll just keep a close eye on him, and I'm sure the monks will do the same if we ask them to."

"They'll do more than that," Farbauti said drily. "They'll stuff and spoil him silly before midday."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Laufey admitted. "Let's just agree to be vigilant. It's Loki's first Midsummer with us, and it comes in just a few short weeks. Let's make it a pleasant time for him, shall we?"

Farbauti gave a sleepy reply and then they were quiet. Loki nestled into his pillows, wondering just what Midsummer might entail.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A deafening, rumbling crash jerked Loki out of sleep several hours later, actually making him jump from his bed. He dropped to the floor right away, shaking and certain that all life had come to an end. When nothing else happened and when his lungs began to hurt from lack of air he took a breath and took stock. What had that noise been?

He sat up just in time to see a blinding flash of light and he crouched down on the floor again. No, something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. They had to be under attack! Frightened now, Loki began crawling toward Laufey and Farbauti's bed. Within moments he was there-if crawling was ever to become a competitive sport, he would win with the speed he'd just managed-and another crash and flash sent him vaulting up and over Farbauti to land in the middle of the bed, waking both Farbauti and Laufey.

Laufey was the first to sit up. "What's going on? Loki?"

"We're under attack!"

Laufey was on his feet immediately. "WHAT?"

Farbauti sat up and looked around. "Under attack?"

Another crash and flash made Loki duck and cover his head. "The palace is going to come down!"

He didn't expect what he heard next. A hand came to rest on his head and he heard the both of them chuckling. He stared at them, certain that they'd both gone mad.

"It's not an attack, Loki," Farbauti said, smoothing his hair. "It's just a storm."

The next crash made the whole palace shake. " _That's_ a storm?"

Laufey went to the window and looked out. "Looks like it." Another crash and flash. "A good one, too. Come take a look."

Loki winced and grabbed a pillow. "That would be risking death."

"Nonsense," Laufey said, returning to the bed and scooping him up. "It's nothing to be afraid of, son." He returned to the window with Loki on his hip and held back a curtain. "See?"

The next flash nearly blinded him, but that was all it was, just a harmless flash of light. The crash that came with it made him wince, and he was left blinking. "I see."

Laufey carried him back to the bed and he was about to place Loki in his own bed when a series of loud crashes made Loki dive for cover in his chest. Laufey paused, patted Loki's back, and returned to the big bed, settling Loki in between him and Farbauti before tucking him in.

Loki lay there, uncertain. "This is...is this all right?"

Farbauti kissed his forehead. "Of course it is. We used to do this with you all the time."

"That was then," Loki reminded her. He was grown. Surely she and Laufey realized this! "This is now."

"Go to sleep, son," Laufey said, sounding almost asleep himself.

Loki was about to protest when he heard a faint snore from Laufey. He turned to talk to Farbauti, but she was asleep as well. He shifted, intending to get up and go back to his bed, but both of them shifted in response, and Loki froze. He'd woken them both up once and he didn't want to do it again. He settled back into the pillow and waited, certain that once some more time had passed he'd be able to go back to his own bed. Gradually, the storm eased until there was only the sound of falling rain, Laufey's and Farbauti's breathing a gentle counterpoint. The feather comforter over him was soft and warm and there was an odd feeling of security in having Laufey and Farbauti on either side of him. It awoke old feelings of warmth and safety and love. It was with that final thought that he felt himself slip into a deep and refreshing sleep, too tired now to think of moving.

* * *

He woke up the following morning snuggled between Laufey and Farbauti as if he'd always done so. Both of them had moved during the night and wrapped an arm around him, making him feel positively cozy-and very self-conscious. His nose was inches from their chests-BOTH of their chests. Carefully, he edged more toward Laufey and a chuckle crept up behind him.

"You should have seen your face," Laufey whispered gleefully.

Loki told himself sternly not to blush. "Please don't mention this to her."

Laufey's grin grew wider. "You used to sleep on her chest as a baby, you know."

It was useless to fight it any longer and the blush made his face flame. "I was a _baby_."

"And you were just as pink-cheeked then as you are now," Laufey said, giving a light pinch to Loki's face. "Are you ready to get up?"

"And for you to stop teasing me? _Yes_."

Laufey helped him get up from the bed and at his insistence, Loki walked the entire distance to the bathroom. Once he was there Laufey helped him take of the necessary, undress, wash, and dress again in his clothes for the day. They both left the bath just as Farbauti was approaching it, wrapped in her robe with her eyes barely open. She gave them a sleepy good morning and disappeared into the bath, closing the door behind her. Laufey and Loki headed toward the family room for breakfast, and by the time Farbauti, Helbindi, and Bylestir joined them, everyone seemed awake and ready to face the day.

The physician stepped up Loki's exercises over the next two weeks. It seemed the harder he worked, the more the physician wanted him to do, so much so that Loki cherished daydreams of dropping the man into a pit of snakes and fire sometimes. He hurt a great deal and the massages became things to endure rather than enjoy, but gradually (and grudgingly), Loki noticed a difference in his strength and range of motion. He began to feel more like the healthy man he was instead of an invalid.

He received more letters from home. Thor wrote that he'd given up taking on bilgesnipes and was instead planning a long camping trip with Sif and their other friends, so he was taking the opportunity to write before they left. Thor hoped that a trip out in the wilds would be what he needed since he found himself too prone to brooding. Odin wrote that Thor had decided to go camping and hopefully he wouldn't get into trouble. Odin also wrote that he'd been keeping busy and had actually set up a chessboard the night before...and then he remembered. He ended the letter with his first chess move and invited Loki to send his move in the next letter he wrote. Freya sent a small chest of books and wrote that she'd chosen some items for the literature exchange and requested that Loki and Farbauti and Laufey choose some books to send back. Loki was delighted with the books and spent the morning showing them to Laufey, Farbauti, Helbindi, and Bylestir. He read his favorite narrative poem aloud that evening after supper and when they all leaned back in their chairs at the end and smiled, he knew that they'd enjoyed it as much as he did.

At the physician's insistence, Laufey made room in his schedule so he could accompany Farbauti and Loki outside every day for an hour or so. The physician stated that Loki needed plenty of sunlight, fresh air, and walks so that his body could get used to moving more. It was odd, but Loki often found himself slipping his hands into Laufey's and Farbauti's hands while they walked. He didn't know why he did it; it was something unconscious, and neither of them ever remarked on it. He could tell they noticed, though. Another thing that Loki realized was that when he lay down for a rest in the afternoon, he either lay very close to either Laufey or Farbauti or he would end up on their bed, even if he started his rest in his bed.

He was a grown man. All right, so he'd been ill, but that was no reason to cuddle up to his biological parents whenever he slept. Not at his age, at least! What the blazes was going on?

He became concerned enough about it that one night a week later he brought up the topic just as he was settling into bed. "Have either of you noticed me acting odd lately? More...clingy?"

Laufey and Farbauti exchanged an amused look. "Just a touch," Farbauti admitted. "What have you noticed?"

Loki related everything he'd noted over the past week. "Is something going on with me?"

Laufey took a seat on the side of Loki's bed and patted his shoulder. "Your mother and I noticed right away when all of this started with you. It's something that every Jotun goes through when he's a few years of age and we think it's happening with you now since you've come back to Jotunheim. On Asgard, I don't think it would have happened."

"Just what is happening?" Loki asked nervously.

"It's called _vairairha_ ," Laufey explained. "It's a process that healers and physicians say allows a child to bond with his parents or other blood relatives. Sometimes, it's even happened to adoptive parents, but only if those adoptive parents and the child are all Jotun."

Loki absorbed the explanation and thought about it. "So...it's a survival mechanism?"

"Exactly," Farbauti confirmed. "We asked the physician when we noticed all of this beginning and he confirmed that it's happening. Everything that's been going on is normal."

"Is anything else going to happen?" he asked, thinking about any number of unpleasant events. The difficulties and memories of adolescence on Asgard were still strong in his mind and he didn't look forward to a repeat performance on Jotunheim. Odin had often grumbled that he was surprised they had survived the combined adolescence of Loki and Thor and he could only imagine how another one would be.

Laufey shook his head. "No, you'll just want to be close to us. You'll want to have more physical contact, too, so don't feel shy about it. It's something necessary, and you'll know when enough's enough."

It seemed he had to be content with that. The following day Loki brought it up to the physician.

"Your parents are right," he said, working on Loki's hands. "It'll be like this for a while, but when it's time for it to stop, it'll stop."

Loki thought about it. "I see." Then, something occurred to him. "You know, I've known you since I came, but I've yet to know your name."

The physician looked at him and smiled. "It's Karres, prince. Any pain in your hands?"

"No."

"Good. Like your parents told you, you'll feel like this for a while, and then you'll feel more like yourself. You may feel closer to them afterward, but that's to be expected."

"As close as I feel to my Asgardian family?" The question crept out before he could stop it. Homesickness would hit him from time to time, overwhelming him for a second or two before he pushed it down in his mind, but it had been happening more often lately.

Karres gave him an understanding look. "Perhaps. You know, I was adopted."

Loki looked up at Karres, surprised that the man would share something so personal. He was usually a bit more aloof. "You were?"

"Mm-hmm. I was a member of one of the mountain clans. Hardscrabble sort of existence in our clan, and the clan chief ruled strictly. For some reason, he didn't like me, so he tormented me. I could never please him, no matter what I did or said."

"Didn't your parents protect you?"

"Children are raised communally in the clans. We know who our mothers are, of course, but for all anyone knew, the chief could have been my father. It's rare that someone knows who his father is. My mother didn't have much time for me-I don't think she ever wanted children in the first place, and she told me that if I didn't want the chief to hurt me I should stop annoying him. By the time I was eight, I'd had enough, so I packed all I had and came here to the capital. I found work in an apothecary's shop, and after a year he and his wife adopted me. I never felt close to my first mother and I felt as if I'd found my true family as soon as I met them."

Loki understood. His Asgardian family felt like his true family, even though he was Jotun by birth. Odin and Frigga hadn't wanted him to feel like an outsider on Asgard, but there were often times he felt like one on Jotunheim. Odd, wasn't it? "I see. Is there anything I should do, regarding this?"

"If you try to resist it, it lasts longer, and usually it's more difficult for you emotionally when you finally allow it to happen," Karres explained. "I bonded in the same way with my present parents and at first, I resisted it. I didn't want to trouble them with anything since they were kind enough to take me in, but eventually, they noticed. They even helped me through it by taking the decision out of my hands."

"How so?"

"They began to shower me with affection and they held me a great deal. It was like getting a cool drink of water on a hot summer's day when you had no idea water even existed. I could be in the house working on my lessons and then the next thing I knew I would be plucked out of my chair by my mother and held for a few minutes. I could be in the shop helping my father and he would lift me up to reach something on a high shelf and he wouldn't let go of me once I'd fetched it, opting instead to carry me around on his hip for a little while. My mother would smooth my hair several times a day, my father would pat me on the back or grip my shoulder, and if we went anywhere together, they would take my hands as a matter of course. Those times are still some of my best memories. It's like they held my heart in their hands, and I wanted them to have it, even though it terrified me."

Loki didn't expect the lump in his throat. One moment, he was fine, and the next, he was swallowing back tears. He hadn't known that the feelings he'd been struggling with since the _vairairha_ started could be put into words, but there they were.

Karres took one look at him and wrapped him in a robe before handing him a handkerchief. "Wait here, please, prince. I'll be right back."

Loki was battling with his emotions when Laufey and Farbauti arrived, Karres right behind and explaining what had happened. Without a word both of them sat down on the table beside Loki and held him while Karres slipped back out, giving them privacy. Loki cried quietly for a while, being held first by Farbauti, then Laufey, and back again. When the storm of tears calmed except for the occasional hitch of his shoulders when he breathed in, Farbauti smoothed his hair while she and Laufey each took one of his hands and held them.

"Any better?"

"I feel positively mortified at crying like an infant, but yes, I feel better. I don't know what made me start crying."

"It's normal," Laufey assured him. "Karres did tell us that this process will generate a lot of emotions in you, especially since you're older, and they'd have to get out somehow. Crying's good."

Loki took the clean handkerchief Farbauti offered and buried his face in it. "If you say so."

"Don't worry about the tears, Loki," Farbauti told him. "We've all gone through what you're going through now, so there's no shame in it. We'll just have to stock up on handkerchiefs and have a good supply of them in every room for a while!"

The image of teetering piles of clean handkerchiefs in every room made Loki chuckle. "That might be a good idea." So saying, he leaned against Farbauti and she wrapped an arm around him while Laufey settled in on his other side. Within seconds, he felt himself relax and the awful feelings that had been swamping him receded. He felt more like himself than he'd felt in ages and he hoped the feeling stayed for a good long while.

The _vairairha_ lasted a while longer and Loki found it more than a little inconvenient. He took Karres's and Laufey's and Farbauti's advice and gave in to any impulses he had for affection. If he spent the day with Farbauti, her ladies no longer got to monopolize him. He would pre-empt any encroachments on his time by immediately taking a seat right next to Farbauti wherever she chose to settle herself, and during the course of the hours spent at her side, he received all the attention his roiling subconscious wanted. When he spent the day with Laufey, Laufey would arrange to hold audiences and meetings in his study. He and Loki could share a sofa there and Loki could plaster himself to Laufey's side as much as the _vairairha_ wanted.

A few days after his crying fit Loki was in the study with Laufey when Helbindi came rushing into the room. "Father, where's Mother?"

"If she's not with her ladies, I'm not sure where she is," Laufey answered, and Helbindi skidded to a halt to catch his breath. "What's the matter, son?"

"Bylestir can't stop coughing."

Laufey immediately dismissed the two councilors he'd been meeting with and got to his feet. "Where's Bylestir?"

"Sitting room."

Laufey picked up Loki and together all three of them ran for the sitting room. Loki could hear Bylestir's hollow cough halfway down the hall from the sitting room and the sound of it was frightening. He had no idea what might be wrong with him, but it sounded bad. They rushed through the door and reached Bylestir just as he gave another cough and it ended in a gasp for breath.

Laufey put Loki on a chair and knelt down in front of Bylestir. "Any pain?"

"Just from the cough," Bylestir rasped.

"One second he was fine, and the next second..." Helbindi blathered. "What do we do?"

"Calm down, first of all," Farbauti said as she reached the doorway. "Second, let me listen to him. Third, Helbindi, you go fetch Karres. He should be in his office. Bring him to mine and your father's room."

Helbindi scurried away and Loki and Laufey were quiet while Bylestir coughed again. Farbauti listened to it while standing in front of her son and then again with her ear pressed against his back and chest. Nodding, she stood up. "It's not too bad," she said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "We'll get you settled in bed and then Karres will give you some medicine, all right?"

Bylestir gave a miserable nod and coughed again. Laufey and Farbauti helped him to his feet and Loki followed along behind as they helped him down the hallway and into their bedroom.

"Loki, we're going to have to banish you to your own room again," Farbauti said as she stripped the linens from Loki's bed.

"That's all right," Loki said, sensing that this was something serious. The _vairairha_ had been less over the past few days, so he should be fine. He could stand being away from Laufey and Farbauti long enough for Bylestir to recover, couldn't he? Nothing to worry about. "Is he going to be all right?"

"It's the coughing sickness," Bylestir coughed. "Sometimes I can't get enough air."

"It just bears watching," Farbauti said, tucking Bylestir into bed and propping him up with pillows. "It doesn't sound too bad."

Bylestir was gasping for breath and she didn't think it sounded too bad? He couldn't believe his ears. If Bylestir sounded this bad when it wasn't 'too bad' he really didn't want to hear 'dire.'

Bylestir coughed as Karres came rushing through the door. "Will I be able to go to Midsummer?"

"Let's focus on the next few hours, shall we, prince?" Karres said, casting his eyes heavenward for patience.

Loki took himself off to his room then, feeling that Laufey and Farbauti did not need him underfoot. He was halfway to his room when he found Helbindi sitting on a bench in the hallway, his head in his hands. "Are you all right?"

Helbindi looked at him and shook his head. "Not really. It scares the life out of me every time, and no matter how often I'm told that it's not bad, it _seems_ bad!"

Loki nodded and took a seat next to his younger brother. "I can understand that. I didn't even know he was sick. How often does he get this illness?"

"It's a chronic condition," Helbindi explained. "He's had it ever since he was young. Certain things just make it hard for him to breathe, and sometimes he doesn't even realize he's having an attack until he starts gasping for breath."

"Have either Farbauti or Laufey said that he's not doing well?" He had to ask the question; it had suddenly become very important in his mind.

"No, each time he has an attack they say he needs to rest and recover, but these attacks always seem so...so..."

"Bad?"

Helbindi gave a mirthless chuckle. "Right. We seem to be using that word a lot."

Loki patted Helbindi's shoulder and the next thing he knew, he had his arms full of his Jotun brother. That was how Laufey found them a few minutes later. "Helbindi? Loki?"

Helbindi sat up right away and released Loki. "How's Bylestir?"

"It's just a mild attack," Laufey promised him. "He'll be up and about in time for Midsummer."

Relief practically flattened Helbindi, and the next thing Loki knew, Laufey was hugging them both. "I hope that the monks forgive us for bringing all three of you to the temple during Midsummer. The Blessed Ones know you'll keep them busy!"

"I know next to nothing about Midsummer, and I'm already looking forward to it," Loki said wryly. "When can we see Bylestir?"

"How about right now? We'll have a picnic-style supper in our room tonight and Bylestir will stay with us until he recovers. Now, let's go rescue him from your mother's and Karres's fussing, hmm?"

Bylestir did seem a bit better when they went in and it wasn't until Loki was lying in his bed later that night that he realized that Bylestir had hardly coughed all through supper. That was good. He lay there, waiting for sleep, but for some reason, he couldn't fall asleep. He felt as if he had a million itches under skin and no matter what he did, they were slowly driving him mad.

He gave up about midnight. Something just felt WRONG and lying there wasn't helping matters any. He got out of bed, pulled on his robe and slippers, and left his room. He headed down the hall to Laufey and Farbauti's room and slipped inside. He would stay just long enough for that wretched itching under his skin to ease up and...spotted Helbindi curled up on the sofa near Bylestir's bed. Laufey sat up and blinked at him sleepily. "Didn't think it would take you so long, son. Want to sleep in here tonight?"

Loki looked around, confused. "Um...where?"

For an answer, Laufey left his bed, picked Loki up, and settled him in his and Farbauti's bed. "Here."

Loki was about to protest, but the itching-under-his-skin feeling left and sweet, glorious relief took its place. "Aahhhh. Yes. This is perfect."

Laufey gave a sleepy chuckle and pulled the covers up around the three of them, and Loki fell asleep to the sounds of his Jotun family sleeping. At that moment, there was nowhere else he'd rather be.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Waking up on Midsummer Day was like waking up on a festival day on Asgard. He'd spent the night once again in Laufey and Farbauti's room since Bylestir had recovered, and he woke up to Farbauti tickling his foot. As soon as his eyes were open he was on his feet. "Is it Midsummer now?"

"It is today," Farbauti told him, ruffling his hair fondly. "Your valet is waiting to help you dress, and once you're ready, come to the sitting room for breakfast."

Loki was able to walk around the family quarters with no problem now, so he headed to his room, where his valet, Karku (the poor man Loki had sent away during the Sun Festival), was waiting to help him climb into the formal Jotun outfit that he had to wear that day. Since that time Loki had re-introduced himself to Karku and the two of them had become comfortable with each other enough so that Loki felt he could count Karku as a friend. Karku was certainly on hand whenever he thought Loki might like a warm coat or slippers to wear, and Loki could tell that Karku liked his sense of humor. He greeted Karku and together the two of them began to look at the clothes that he had to wear.

There were a shirt, pants, vest, jacket, cloak, and boots, all trimmed in leather and fur, with the cloak doubly-lined with lamb's wool so he could stay warm. The number of cords and ties on the outfit were mind-boggling with all of the pieces tying to each other so they could stay in place and sit straightly on the person wearing them, but Karku was an expert at his work. Within minutes Loki had washed and then Karku had him encased in his clothes for the day. It was odd having someone else dress him, but he couldn't have managed it on his own, and certainly not the boots. Leather panels had to be put in place against his ankle and lower calf once the boot was on, and then leather ties were laced and wrapped around the boot, tied, and knotted in a certain pattern.

"All done, prince," Karku said, giving Loki's boot a tap to signal Loki could remove his foot from Karku's knee. Karku had sat on the floor so he could reach Loki's feet comfortably and Loki had to admit that the system they'd figured out together worked well.

"Thank you, Karku." Loki took his foot down and stood to face the mirror while Karku circled him, adjusting the hang of the cloak and checking the ties.

"What about your hair?"

Loki regarded his hair and shrugged. "It's combed."

Karku gave a long-suffering sigh. "It's combed, yes, but are you just going to let it hang there? It's a lot longer than when you first came here, prince."

Surprised, Loki looked again. It _was_ longer. It almost reached his shoulders now. "I see what you mean. What would you suggest?"

Karku pulled a chair over in front of the mirror. "We should pull at least half of it back so it won't end up in your eyes, and during Midsummer it's traditional to dress your hair." Karku went to the wardrobe and rummaged around in one of the drawers. He returned with his hands full of brightly-colored cords, ties, and beads. "Here we are."

Loki looked the handful of trimmings over with some trepidation. "Ah, I'm not used to that. Is it really necessary?"

"I think your family would like it," Karku confessed. "Will you trust me?"

Karku had never steered him wrong before. He nodded and took a seat on the chair and Karku started combing and parting his hair, using cords to tie off sections and stringing a bead on here and there. Loki watched in the mirror and idly noted the gentle tugs and pulls on his hair, and at last Karku stepped back and let him look.

"Woah..." Loki breathed, amazed. "How did you do that?"

"Lots and lots of practice on my little brothers," Karku answered, grinning. "Like it?"

"It's great!" Karku had combed his hair back, parted the top locks from the bottom, and braided cords that matched his outfit around the top locks so they would stay back. He'd strung faceted beads around the cords and left the ends of the cords hang down so that they covered the tied-back hair, and beads had been strung onto the very ends so that they hung in a cluster. "Thank you, Karku!"

Karku returned his grin and shook his hand. "Think of it as a Midsummer gift, prince. Your family's waiting."

After thanking him one more time, Loki headed on his way, thinking happily about the day ahead. Loki was excited for Midsummer. He'd asked Laufey and Farbauti and his Jotun brothers what it was like, and they told him all about the religious festival held at the temple. There would be a service in the morning that lasted until noon, and then there would be a meal cooked over an open fire and eaten out-of-doors. Once everyone had eaten, there would be a thanksgiving ceremony outside, and then there would be games and dancing and music until sundown. Then, there would be a time for individual devotions, and then there would be dinner (again, cooked out-of-doors) and dancing and music and more games until dawn the next day.

All the temples in the city held Midsummer services and festivals, but the largest, by far, was the one at the temple they'd visited on the day of the Sun Festival. While the Sun Festival was a quiet day for the temple, the Midsummer Festival was not, so the monks were likely busy with preparing for guests.

Laufey and Farbauti and Helbindi and Bylestir were all waiting on him and he hurried to his seat once he reached the family room. "I'm ready...and hungry!"

Immediately there was a chorus of compliments on his appearance and his hair. Farbauti swept him into a hug and kissed the top of his head. "Loki, you look wonderful! You look just like your father did as a young man!"

That gave him pause. "I do?"

She nodded and pointed him towards the mirror hanging over the mantel. "See? His face was as thin as yours is now, your eyes are shaped the same, you have his chin..."

"Actually, dear, I think he takes after you," Laufey interrupted and started pointing to Loki's face in the mirror. "See? He has your bone structure."

"I think the entire family is agreed that Loki is adorable," Helbindi said before the debate could start in earnest. "I, for one, think that we should do justice to all the delicious food that's waiting for us."

"I second the motion," Loki said, eagerly grasping the solution to too much attention.

Laufey gave him a fond chuckle. "Well, there's food. Let's dig in!"

A Midsummer meal was a special one, and Farbauti had told him about it the night before. There would be plenty of hot grains, sweet and savory, to eat, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables and grilled meat skewers. At the end of the meal was a sweet cake filled with berries. Each dish had a symbolic meaning and Loki had found it all fascinating. Even better was eating all of it! He managed two meat skewers, a piece of fruit, a bowl of sweet grain (it reminded him of oatmeal), some vegetables, and of course, a cake! He leaned back in his chair, satisfied.

It was a good thing he finished when he did because the house steward arrived to say their mounts were ready. The entire family left the table and headed outside to where Noekta and the other veho waited for them. Laufey took a moment to help Loki shift to his Jotun skin so he would be able to stay warm and then he was ready. A groom boosted Loki into the saddle and they rode together out of the gates, the grooms wishing them well.

Loki couldn't get over how much his life had changed. A few months ago, he was a prince of Asgard and had never thought of himself in any other way. Now, though, things were different. He still felt like a prince of Asgard, but he also felt like a prince of Jotunheim. The _vairairha_ had somewhat changed how he felt about his Jotun family. He felt as if he were part of his birth family and he loved having two more brothers. As he'd gained in strength and the _vairairha_ had lessened his need for close proximity to Laufey and Farbauti, he'd spent more time with them, and he found that their personalities and natures were pretty similar. They were inclined to clown around, and he enjoyed mischief. The three of them together…well, perhaps it was for the best that they hadn't grown up together. That could have been more than flesh and blood or even loving parents could take.

Thinking about that led him to think about Ahna's latest visit. She'd come with some books for Loki to read and to talk to him more about lalta. He'd found himself confiding in her how he felt about his Jotun family and his birthplace. He told her about that and how he felt that he was, on some level, betraying Asgard and his Asgardian family.

"I imagine that it's normal to feel that way," she'd told him. "I've never been in your situation, but I can see the logic in how you'd feel. Are you looking for advice?"

Loki nodded. He felt too conflicted about things for his own comfort.

"Accept it."

He blinked, confused. "Sorry?"

"I said, accept it. Accept how you feel and your circumstances. It's all right for you to feel the way you do, even if you feel mixed up. You won't be disloyal to your past if you also embrace your future, Loki."

Those words actually brought the sting of tears to his eyes, and Ahna was considerate enough to turn away while he collected himself. Once he'd mopped his face and taken a few deep breaths, he felt ready to resume the conversation.

"Part of the reason why I came to see you today is that I've heard you're going through _vairairha_ ," she stated. "Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right," he confessed. "I have to say it's been one of the stranger things in my life. I'm happiest when I'm cuddled up to Laufey and Farbauti, and that's not something I'd ever thought I'd say at my age."

"I doubt anyone's ever had the chance to say it before," she answered. "I've been doing some research and I can safely say that you're the first Jotun a later-life _vairairha_ has ever happened to. The fact that you're older and that the _vairairha_ is happening now and that you're a lalta means that there is something I wanted to warn you about. Is it true that your parents are taking you to Midsummer at the temple?"

Loki grinned. "Yes! Everyone's been talking about it so much that I'm excited and Laufey's been coaching me on what to do during the ceremonies. Once we've done all the official things Helbindi and Bylestir said that it'll be like another festival, and I'm looking forward to it. I've been sick and busy recovering and now that I'm better I can't wait to have some fun!"

"While you're at Midsummer, you MUST stay close to your family at all times. If you do have to be away from your family, make sure that wherever you are, you're in a safe place and near people who can help you if needed."

Why was she so adamant? "All right. I assume there's a good reason you're telling me this?"

"There is," she said, and she nodded slowly. "Since you're experiencing _vairairha_ , you are vulnerable right now. There are some instances in which children have been taken during that period of their lives and for lack of any family, they bonded with whomever was available, which made it difficult for them to leave their captors later on. You remember our conversation about people who might try to lure you away from your family?"

In a flash, what she was trying to tell him was painfully clear. "Oh. Oh, I see. Um...all right, now I'm worried. What should I do?"

"You won't have to worry as long as you're careful," she said, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "You'll be able to count on most of the people there and the monks to protect you, but it never hurts to be on your guard."

Looking around at the crowd of people streaming toward the temple, it was hard to keep his guard up. By now they'd joined all the townspeople and up ahead he could see the entrance to the temple and hear music being played. Everyone was dressed in their finest and plenty of people had realized who they were by now and called out greetings.

"Happy Midsummer, Your Majesties!"

"A fine Midsummer to you, princes!"

"A happy Midsummer to you, Prince Loki!"

That last greeting had been called from a cart full of young ladies, but he couldn't tell which one had done it. They were all staring at him and smiling and he felt a blush start. Being at the center of that much feminine attention was a bit...unsettling.

"Those seem like some very sweet girls," Farbauti said, reining her veho up next to Noekta. "Wave back to them and give them a smile, Loki. Failing to acknowledge them is not polite."

Loki did as she advised and felt his face flame when the entire cart of girls broke out into breathless giggles. He heard one of them breathe, "...so cuuuute!" and he wished the ground would open up under Noekta's hooves so they could disappear.

"Loki, why don't the three of us go over there?" Helbindi suggested quietly.

Loki stared at him in shock. "WHY?"

"They can fuss over you, and Bylestir and I might come to their notice, too."

"Once it's clear that there's only one of you and...oh, so many of them," Bylestir breathed, looking with longing at the young ladies in their finery. "We're just saying we might get lucky and get a little bit of their attention."

"Gentlemen shouldn't stare at ladies," Laufey said gruffly, breaking into the conversation. "If this is how you're going to act until you come of marriageable age, then it might be best if I sent you both to the temple for a while so you can avoid temptation."

Both his brothers paled. "Ah, that won't be necessary, Father," Helbindi said quickly.

"Really and truly!" Bylestir added. "We were just..."

"Admiring beauty...!"

"Isn't that part of what we were talking about the other day? Admiring the beauty around you and appreciating the creation of the Great Ones?"

Farbauti rode up next to her husband, chuckling. "Was that why you went to the temple for a few months when you were young?" she teased. "You were appreciating beauty?"

Helbindi and Bylestir both stared at him. "YOU DID?"

"There is no beauty that I could appreciate more than yours," Laufey said quietly, loud enough so that only his sons and she heard him. "No, that's not the reason, although it would have been a good one. The truth was, I was pretty lax in religious matters, and since it was most likely I was going to inherit the throne, my father felt it best I receive some temple training. I resented his decision at the time, but the training has been useful to me over the years. That's all."

Loki tried hard to ignore the cart of giggling girls. "Perhaps you could put _me_ in a temple so the ladies could avoid temptation? What they're saying is getting a bit embarrassing."

Farbauti reached back to ruffle his hair. "They just want the chance to fuss over you, Loki."

Loki gave her a long-suffering look. "I'm sure that having my sweet widdle face squidged and smooched is not the kind of fussing you had in mind."

Embarrassment and nausea warred over Farbauti's features and Laufey turned his face away so she couldn't see him smirk. Farbauti composed herself and cleared her throat. "I think you might be right, Loki. That's a bit...much."

They pressed on, passed the rocks, and soon they reached the temple entrance. Already stalls had been set up outside the temples and a large band was playing next to the open front doors, ushering people inside. The royal family dismounted and grooms took their horses away and Loki entered the temple this time not as someone in search of a past he didn't know, but a part of himself that he felt he could learn to know. He walked down the main aisle of the temple between Laufey and Farbauti with Helbindi and Bylestir right behind him. Plenty of people noticed their arrival and whispering and murmuring filled the large open space and reverberated off the walls and arches overhead. Three monks hurried forward to greet them and ushered them to their seats at the front while a few last people pressed inside to find seats or standing-room.

Once the temple was filled with people, one of the monks advanced up the central aisle, carrying a bowl of fruit and grasses while a choir next to the altar began to intone a solemn piece that drew everyone's attention to the front. Monks in white robes traversed the aisles and across the nave, lighting candles as they went and swinging censers of incense, filling the air with wisps of fragrant smoke. As the last candle was lighted a new chant began, a joyful one that called all the names and epithets of the Great Ones and implored their favor for the coming harvest. The chant continued with the congregation repeating responses every time there was a pause, and after what seemed like hours of chanting the head priest stepped down off the altar and approached the royal family, who all knelt.

"May the Great Ones bless our king, who has led us through so many trials!" he said, laying a hand on Laufey's head. "May he continue strong and well and wise in the coming years!"

"In the coming years!" the congregation called out.

"May the Great Ones bless our queen, so that she may continue by the king's side to lend him wisdom and aid!"

"Wisdom and aid!"

"May the Great Ones bless Prince Helbindi, who has worked so long by his father's side to see the realm prosper!"

"The realm prosper!"

"May the Great Ones bless Prince Bylestir, who labors to benefit the people!"

"Benefit the people!"

Now the head priest advanced to Loki and laid a hand on his head. "May the Great Ones bless and protect Prince Loki, who has returned to his people!"

"HIS PEOPLE!"

Loki's ears rang as he glanced up to be sure that the roof was still on the temple. Apparently, the congregation liked what the head priest had said.

The ceremony continued with another hymn sung, another circuit of the censer, and then the head priest returned to the royal family, to mark the symbol of the Great Ones on their foreheads with blessed oil and to say a silent prayer over each of them. He seemed to take a very long time over Loki and Loki wondered if he was trying to fit a lifetime of prayers into one ceremony to make up for all the ones he'd missed.

The ceremony continued until it came to the finale. Usually, a member of the royal family would receive a torch that had been blessed by each of the monks, it would be lit at the pillar candle in front of the altar, and then it would be carried out to the bonfire that had been set up in the courtyard. The chosen member of the royal family would light the bonfire, and then the outdoor celebration would begin. Loki watched as each monk and finally the head priest said a blessing over the torch and at last the head priest turned and carried the torch toward them. He was expecting Laufey to receive it, but to his shock, the head priest knelt and held the torch out to him.

A cheer nearly did take the roof off the temple. It certainly shook the dust from the rafters since Loki spotted two little dust bunnies drifting toward the floor. He stared at the torch, his mind frozen in shock.

"Go ahead and take it," Laufey urged him as the people packing the temple cheered. "We told you what needs to be done."

"I didn't think they'd offer it to _me_ ," Loki told him in a panicked hiss, but he stood and took the torch in both hands, nearly dropping it when the full weight of it hit him. Carefully and slowly, Loki approached the altar, lit the torch at the candle, and turned to head down the aisle, with his family and the head priest right behind him. The monks and the people began to chant another hymn, one calling for the light of the torch to bear the Great Ones' blessings for another year, and gingerly Loki made his way out the doors and into the courtyard. By now, people were streaming out of the temple to surround the bonfire, and once the last person had exited the temple, the head priest nodded at Loki.

 _Thank all the benevolent spirits in the universe_ , Loki thought as he lowered the torch to the waiting wood. His arms felt ready to fall off. Why did the torch have to be so darned heavy?

With a crackle and a fwoosh the fire caught and blazed up, and the watching people cheered again, this time startling some birds in the nearby trees into a frantic flight away from the noise. Loki was more than glad to hand back the torch to the head priest and step back while the head priest declared the celebration begun.

The band struck up again, with flutes, drums, cymbals, and stringed instruments sending sound soaring over the courtyard. Several people fetched torches and lit smaller braziers that could be used for cooking, and soon the smell of roasted meat and vegetables and toasted bread were wafting over the air. Helbindi and Bylestir showed Loki how close to stand to the fire so he could roast his lunch and soon he was crunching his way through a deliciously drippy and crumby sandwich.

"Good, isn't it?" Helbindi breathed before he took a bite of his own food.

"Mmmm," Loki agreed.

"Aldis is here and he's selling kabobs."

Loki sat up straight at that. "Kabobs? Kabobs of what?"

Both of them grinned at him, and once they had Laufey's and Farbauti's permission, they headed off to Aldis's stall to each get a sweet kabob that was still sizzling from the grill, the sugar coating the cubes shiny with heat. As one they dipped the kabobs into a barrel of water and there was a hiss and a loud crack, and then Loki was able to bite the first cube off the stick. "Mmmmmmmmmm," Loki sighed, amazed that the sweets were even better than he remembered. "Oh, I am so happy right now."

"Mm-hmm," Bylestir agreed, busily chewing a mouthful.

Once it was clear that everyone had eaten, the monks gathered in a circle around the bonfire and began the thanksgiving ceremony. Mercifully, it was short, and then the people were released to the games and dancing. Loki saw one group of young man taking it in turns to dance around a brazier and then leap over it, but one look from Farbauti told him that he would not be allowed to try it. Not in this lifetime, at least. Instead, he and his brothers joined a line dance that was snaking its way around the courtyard, with elders, children, and adults all pushed together and bouncing about like balls. They left that dance after a while and Loki was considering getting a drink when a young lady approached Bylestir and curtsied. He grinned, took her hand, and led her to the open space set aside for couple dancing. Helbindi approached a young lady and bowed to her, and they joined the dance and Loki was considering finding Farbauti when he heard a throat clear itself next to him. "Care to dance, youngster?"

Loki grinned. "I'd be delighted, Ahna."

It was fortunate that they were of a height, Loki reflected as he and Ahna joined the dance. Any of the young ladies on or around the dance floor were a lot taller than he was.

"So, how's your first Midsummer been?"

"It's been interesting. That torch almost made my arms fall off."

Ahna hooted with laughter as she and Loki completed a turn. "Good thing they didn't! Did you have enough to eat?"

"If I say 'no' are you going to try to feed me?"

"Of course not. You know if you've eaten enough."

"Then yes."

When the dance ended Loki met up again with Helbindi and Bylestir and together they escorted Ahna to see Laufey and Farbauti. They sat together a while and talked and cheered Helbindi and Bylestir on while they took part in some games, but Loki found it harder and harder to follow the conversation and stay engaged with what was happening.

"Are you all right, Loki?" Ahna asked, noticing him after a few minutes.

"Just a little tired," Loki confessed, taking a sip from the cup of cider he held.

Once he'd swallowed Farbauti reached out and grasped Loki's chin to turn his head to face her. "You're awfully pale."

"I'm blue," Loki countered.

"You're a pale blue," Laufey stated. "And there are shadows under your eyes. "Think you might be in need of a rest?"

Loki looked around the bustling courtyard. "I think that might be a bit difficult, given our surroundings."

"Difficult, but not impossible," Ahna said brightly. "Wait here."

Loki set the empty cup down on the table and sighed. He couldn't remember picking it up, but it was good cider, a bit like drinking a liquid jewel. Ahna returned then, leading an old monk that Loki recognized as the slightly dotty one that had first greeted them on their last visit to the temple. "Brother Voral says that there is a quiet area set up for resting inside the temple," Ahna told him. "You could lie down there for a while, Loki."

Loki looked at Laufey and Farbauti, and they were both nodding. "You go and get some rest," Laufey told him. "Brother Voral will watch after you, and once you feel better, come back and join us."

Finding it difficult to focus on anything other than a good rest, Loki agreed and followed Ahna and Brother Voral into the temple. They headed toward the guest quarters and ended up in a long room full of cozy-looking beds.

"Here we are, prince," Brother Voral told him, ushering him to the nearest bed. "You lie down and rest and I'll be back in an hour to check on you."

"And I'll tell your parents you're settled," Ahna promised. "You rest, all right?"

"Thank you," Loki said gratefully, stretching out on the bed. A moment later Brother Voral spread a blanket over him and tucked him in, and Loki let himself relax once he heard the door close. His head was cloudy enough that he felt as if he'd had some of that dreaming wine, but of course that was ridiculous. The cider he'd had had been golden with no trace of green.

He slipped into dreams then, the images from the day floating through his head like feathers in a breeze. He was deep in a dream about all the cheering during the morning ceremony when the cheers resolved into whispers.

"...think he's asleep?"

"He had some of that cider. He's asleep."

"Anyone coming yet?"

"Nope. No one out there but the monk and he won't say a word."

"Not for a while, at least."

He heard the footsteps of several men surround his bed and he fought to open his eyes. What was going on?

"He's so small."

"He's a lalta. They're all small."

"Let's get him wrapped up and get the hell out of here."

Loki felt himself picked up, turned in someone's arms, and the blanket wrapped tightly around him. With a herculean effort, he forced his eyes open.

When he and Thor had been young, they'd both had their own theories about what the Frost Giants were like and what they looked like. During their playtime they'd often pretended that they were under siege by a horde of hideous Frost Giants, and they'd spent lots of time describing their imagined features and bloodthirstiness to each other with relish. Later they had to ease up on the gruesomeness of those descriptions when they gave themselves nightmares. For some reason, the images from those nightmares had stayed with Loki and occasionally they would return to haunt his dreams.

His bad dreams had come to life and they were surrounding him. He stared in shock at Frost Giants that matched his horrific boyhood nightmares perfectly. He drew a breath to cast a spell, but the opening of a jug pressed against his mouth, cider flooded his mouth, and the last thing he remembered was the blanket being pulled over his head.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Loki woke up to the feeling of being rocked backward and forward, backward and forward. He could hear the rumble of hooves below him and the wind whistling around him and his stomach rolled just as much as whatever was carrying him. What the blazes was going on? Where was he?

He focused on opening his eyes and it was like lifting two boulders. They opened slowly and almost immediately closed again. He fought with a body that was too tired to obey him and gradually he managed to get his eyes open for more than a few seconds. He took a deep breath and coughed and he felt the hard, furry surface he was resting against shift.

"Arust! Dakan! He's waking up!"

"Finally! Next time, don't give him so much!"

"I wasn't the one who made it so strong!"

"All of you, shut up!" An authoritarian voice cut through the din. "Right now, we've got him to take care of. _Woooahh!_ "

Loki heard the veho snort as they were reined up and his stomach protested as he was jounced in the saddle. The man holding him dismounted and handed his reins to one of the other men.

None of this made sense. The last thing he could remember he had been in the temple, asleep in a bed that his body missed with every part of its being. How had he gotten here? Who were these men?

"All right, laddybuck," the one holding Loki told him. "Feel you can stand?"

Loki wrestled with his thoughts and tried to keep them straight. "Um...yes?"

Loki was placed on his feet and a moment later everything came back to him. He stared up at his captor in horror as the night around them closed in.

Someone saw his expression and Loki heard a curse. All of his boyhood nightmares of hideous and gnarled Frost Giants that kidnapped Asgardians and cooked them alive and then gnawed on their bones rushed back to him and the terror was too much for him to take. They were horrifying, every one of them! Some of them bore puckered scars, some of them had mouths full of crooked teeth and one of them had _tusks_ and they were all bigger than any Jotuns he'd ever seen and... He screamed and called up his illusions as he turned and ran for his life. He heard plenty of cursing, one veho screamed in terror and tore off as the rest scattered, and then the pounding of booted feet as the men pursued him.

Dizziness hit and he stumbled, falling full-length on the scrubby ground. He regained his feet and scrabbled away on all fours as fast as he could, fighting to get upright again. A too-ambitious attempt set him sprawling and this time he landed in a thorn bush, scratching his face and hands.

The man who'd set him on his feet caught up to him. "Hold still, laddybuck! I'll get you out of there!"

The man reached into the bush for him, cursed as he scratched his hands, and carefully extricated Loki from the thorns. Gingerly he placed Loki in a battered heap on the ground at his feet. "You all right, lad?"

He was still horrendously dizzy from whatever poison they'd given him and the falling he'd just done had done nothing to help his equilibrium. His stomach was certainly protesting and demanding that he...oh, no. He sat up and turned just in time to be thoroughly sick. How long the retching lasted he didn't know, but when it was finished he sat on the ground just breathing and trying to quell the complaints that were coming at him from every corner of his body. "What did you do to me?"

"Just a little something to help you sleep," the man said, giving his back a sympathetic pat. "You'll feel better once you've had some water and maybe some food."

Loki groaned aloud at the thought of food. There was no way in this lifetime that he would ever want to swallow anything these people gave him. "Who are you?"

"Me, specifically, or all of us?"

"All of you," Loki said, carefully getting to his feet. "And why have you kidnapped me?"

The last thing Loki expected to hear as they gathered around him was laughter, but in the next moment, every single man started chuckling or laughing. The man with the tusks was laughing so much that the sound was more like a wheeze, rather than an audible laugh. The one who'd pulled him from the thornbush stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder. "It's not a kidnapping, lad. It's an _adoption_."

Loki glared up at him. "Don't try to play me for a fool. If you take me home, then that will be the end of this. If you don't..."

"If we don't it will no doubt be horrific and so on and so on," another man broke in, coming over to stand in front of Loki. He came over and put both hands on Loki's shoulders. "Now, listen to me, all right? We've got you. We intend to keep you and you'll live with us from now on. You'll be treated like one of our own since you'll _be_ one of our own. You can trust that we'll keep you safe, and warm, and well-fed, and in time, you'll settle in and be happy with us."

Loki wanted to END this smug man, but something of Ahna's advice came back to him. _Make them regret it!_ Very well, then, he would. For a moment, he contemplated throwing an absolute fit, but a fit would be over too quickly. No, he needed something that would take longer. A _lot_ longer. Something that would really _last_. For a moment, he didn't know what to do, but then he had the most extraordinary flash of memory from his younger days. He'd been left with two guards while Odin spoke with the captain, and something had frightened him. He hadn't bawled out loud, but he could remember being sniffly and teary and that had driven the two men into frantic panicking, leaving them scrambling and trying everything they could to get him to stop. One man had tried making funny faces, the second man had stood on his head, and they quickly made fools of themselves in an effort to calm him. Both of them had seemed to be in agony the entire time Odin had been gone and Loki could remember one man saying that he would prefer eternal torment to dealing with a weepy child.

Yes, that would do. That would do nicely.

"No, I won't," Loki said, his voice small and tight. "I want to go home!"

"But we _are_ going home," the same man assured him. "We live in the mountains, where you'll always be warm, and there will always be plenty to eat. You'll have ladies to mother you, men to teach you, and plenty of friends to learn with and keep you company. You'll be very happy there; I promise."

Loki felt himself shaking from all the tension he was under. Perfect. "No, I want to go home!" Should he use his illusions again to make his point? Something that would show how afraid he was?

The one facing him moved toward him, possibly to pick him up, and Loki spoke without thinking. A column of fire erupted between them and with it came chaos.

"What the blazes-!"

"Nobody said he was this gifted!"

"-and get the blasted veho back here!"

"Wait-no! Someone stop him! He's running!"

Loki was. He abandoned his plan to make them regret taking him and took the chance to run. As soon as they shielded their eyes he took to his heels, willing himself to stay on his feet and to get away. If it had been possible, he would have willed himself to fly, but as it was, he would have to trust his feet. Fleetingly a memory of all the footraces he'd run flitted through his mind and he focused on speed just as much as he had then. If he were fast enough, then it was possible that he- "Oof!"

Someone had taken him down in a tackle and pinned him. He screamed and tried to push them away, but they had too good a grip on him for him to get away. He could hear a babble of voices around him and one voice rose over the others, demanding "Bring that damn bottle now!"

They were going to drug him again. He redoubled his efforts and twisted like a snake, but his jaw was gripped and forced open and a small bottle forced between his teeth.

"How much do we give him?"

"It just has to touch his tongue!"

Something bitter touched his tongue, making him gag, and then then they let go. Loki sat up, still gagging and ready to commit murder. He took a breath, thought of a spell, and spoke. "Haaaaaaaahhh." He froze. What the blazes? " _Haaaaahhhhahhhhhhhaaahhhh._ "

"Just a little something to keep you from using your magic while we're out in the wild," the man Loki thought of as the leader told him, giving him a clap on the shoulder. "We can't spare the time trying to keep that magic of yours under control now, can we? Would you like a sweetie to take away the taste?"

Loki's eyes looked green murder at the man, both for what he'd just done and for the offer of a sweetie as if Loki were nothing more than a sulky child. Oh, how he wished he had a knife!

"I'm Arust," the man said, grasping Loki's shoulder and turning him to face the rest of the men. "That's Dakan, you were riding with Talo, and the man bringing the veho back is Maral. You can trust us to watch after you while we're traveling, and we'll be home late tomorrow."

Loki looked at Arust and fought the urge to throw himself at his face and start punching. The most he could do with dignity was glare at him and allow all the contempt he felt for them to drip from his expression. Since his magic worked through words, he was effectively without his abilities until they did something to reverse...whatever it was they'd done to him.

"Should we go ahead and camp here, Arust?" Maral asked, still holding the reins for the veho.

"Might as well; we need to get the poor beasts calmer before we can think of going anywhere," Arust answered. "Usual duties, everyone."

They fanned out, with Maral forming a tie line for the veho, Dakan clearing a spot for a fire, and Talo gathered kindling. Arust stayed at their campsite, pulling things out of saddle bags and setting up a small camp kitchen. "You hungry, lad?"

His stomach was still complaining about its recent treatment and Loki shook his head. Even if he were hungry, he wouldn't touch anything they gave him. He knew that they couldn't be trusted not to drug him just to keep him compliant.

"Thirsty?" Arust pressed, holding out a waterskin. "It's just water."

Sure, it was. And he was king of Midgard. He shook his head again.

Arust placed the waterskin in the grass beside Loki. "In case you change your mind. Would you like to help me put the meal together?"

 _Only if I can add some hemlock to the food,_ Loki thought darkly. He shook his head again and pulled his cloak tightly around himself. It was thick and warm and it was a bit of home that he could carry with him. Farbauti had done the tanglewood embroidery on the edges herself and presented it to him the night before Midsummer. He ran his fingers along the edge and paused with some dismay as he found a place where the stitches had loosened and stray threads now dangled free. It was probably that damned thornbush that had done it. Idly he looked the threads over and sighed. Perhaps Farbauti could fix it.

A sudden loud yowl off to his left and behind him drove him to his feet and he looked around. That sounded familiar...was it a mountaincat?

"Just a mountaincat," Arust said, unwrapping some packets. "It's too far away to get to you, so don't worry."

Loki didn't find that any comfort at all since it was still out there somewhere and most likely hungry. This time, he didn't have Ahna and a pierce-whistle to drive the thing away. If only she were here...thoughts of her made him think. How had these men gotten into the temple to steal him? He should have been safe there. He sank back onto the grass and let his thoughts run. Ahna and Brother Voral had shown him where to rest...should he have been more suspicious, especially after her warnings. Still, he was sure that Ahna could be trusted. What about Brother Voral? He was a bit vague, of course, but he seemed kind, and it was clear that he adored Loki. Loki shook his head. No, he couldn't see Brother Voral letting those men inside, unless there was something he didn't know.

Camp was set up quickly and in short order there was a pot of water boiling over the fire. Arust crouched down next to the fire and took out one of the packets he'd unwrapped. He opened the packet and broke a dark block of something into the water and began to stir it with a wooden spoon. Shortly a savory smell filled the air and Loki felt his mouth water. How long had it been since he'd eaten?

"I can hear that little belly rumbling all the way over here," Arust said as the rest of the men pulled out bowls and spoons. "Come have something to eat."

Loki stared at him and barely resisted the urge to throw a rock at him. _Little belly?_ Nope. There was no way he was eating now. He was trying to hold on to his dignity with tooth and claw, but hold on he would. Dignity did not mean sitting down with his captors and having a meal. After all, it wasn't like they could sit down and have a nice _chat_ after what they'd done.

They let him sit there for almost a quarter hour before Arust got up and went over to him and held out a bowl. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat? Just try a little."

 _He won't leave me alone until I try something,_ Loki reasoned as he lifted the spoon out of the bowl and took a cautious mouthful. He chewed, swallowed, and gagged as the full taste-and heat!-hit him. A second later he vomited, but this time it was all over Arust's boots. He coughed and gagged again and grabbed the waterskin, quickly taking a drink to rinse his mouth. There had been so much spice in that food that his lips had gone numb! Loki shot Arust a dark look as Arust cursed and cleaned off his boots while the other men started laughing.

"And what's so funny?" Arust demanded once his footwear was cleaned.

"That look he gave you!" Dakan wheezed. "He looked as if he were sure you were trying to poison him!"

 _I'd like to poison_ _**him**_ , Loki thought savagely as he took another drink. His mouth was still on fire! The fact that he'd gotten some measure of revenge by vomiting on Arust's shoes did little to make him feel better.

Arust tried his best to salvage the situation. "You're probably not used to our food yet, are you? I've heard that Asgardian food is...not as seasoned?"

" _Hhaaaaaaaaahhh_ ," Loki snapped. He did not feel like taking part in a one-sided conversation with this son of an ox and bilgesnipe.

Maral dug around in one of the saddlebags and unwrapped another parcel. "Perhaps you'd like some bread instead? There's no seasoning in it aside from salt."

Loki shook his head and turned away, looking back the way they'd come. He was a good tracker and it was fully possible that he could find his way back on his own. How far had they come? How long had they been traveling? Was it something he could walk in a night? Well, he supposed he could steal a veho, but could he do that without them hearing him? It might be safer to just walk away once they were asleep.

"That's enough of that," Arust said firmly, scooping Loki up and putting him over his shoulder. "You don't have to eat if you don't want to, but turning your back like that is disrespectful, so you're going to come and sit with us and face us. If you keep this up, you're going to be very unhappy." So saying, he plopped Loki down right between Talo and Dakan.

Loki drew his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them. He stared into the fire and willed himself to be patient. He only had to wait until they were asleep, and then he would be able to slip away.

Staring at the fire and listening to the sounds it made were so relaxing that he started to doze a bit and he jerked up with a start when his captors got up to clean up after the meal. In minutes, dishes were clean, the fire was banked, a watch rotation set up, and cloaks were wrapped around tired bodies. Arust was spreading out a thick blanket on the ground near the fire and before Loki knew what he was about, Arust had plucked him up and placed him on it. "This is where you'll sleep. Do you need to relieve yourself before you do?"

Quiet urges his body had been sending him for the last few minutes reasserted themselves, and he nodded. Arust escorted him to the area set up as a necessary so Loki could take care of the needful. Once he was done he washed his hands with water from the waterskin and a cake of soap they'd provided. It was harsh and gritty, but at least it got his hands clean. He dried his hands on a fold of his cloak and returned to the blanket. He dropped down on it and stretched out on his side facing the fire, and a moment later Arust handed him a saddlebag to use as a head rest. A moment after that Maral came over to them and covered him with a heavy blanket. Once it was on he was warmer, but it was still cold. They were out in the foothills of the mountains and it was as if every wind on the planet had decided to drop in on them and howl for a while.

"Get some rest, lad," Arust said, laying down close behind Loki. "We've a long way to go in the morning."

Loki was about to move away from Arust, but then he realized that he was a great deal warmer with that hulk just behind him. The man was acting as a heat block, ensuring that the heat from the fire concentrated around Loki. Oh, it was nice. Very nice. Nice and warm!

* * *

He told himself to stay awake and that he mustn't go to sleep, but the next thing he knew he was opening his eyes in the pre-dawn light. How had he slept so deeply and for so long? How could he have been so stupid!

"Morning, lad," Arust said, pulling the blanket off of him. "Time to go."

Chill rushed in and surrounded Loki, making him curl up in a ball and shiver. He'd only just woken up and already his teeth were chattering! Why was Jotunheim so blasted cold all the time!

Arust picked him up and put him on his feet. "Come on, lad. Once you move around a bit you'll be warmer. Hurry and take care of the necessary; we're heading out in a few minutes."

Loki did as he was advised and looked around. As he'd remembered, they were in the foothills, and the ground was sloping a bit behind them. That must have been the way they'd come...Hands snatched him up as soon as he'd finished washing his hands and he found himself glaring at Arust. "I can hear what you're thinking. Do you know how long it was after we took you before you woke up?"

Of course he wouldn't know that! He glared and shook his head.

"You were out two days. The cider we slipped you was very strong, so you were dead asleep for two days. There's no one better than we are at moving quickly, so we've gone further than you could travel in a week on foot. A mountaincat would find you long before you found a way back to the city. Do you understand? If you try to run, you'll be taking your life in your hands, little one."

His temper snapped. One moment, he was hanging limply in Arust's hands and the next, he was trying to tear his eyes out, screaming at the tops of his lungs. "Hhaaaaaahhh! Hhhhaaahhaaaaaaahhhh! HHHAAAAHHAHHHAHHHHAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Arust merely laughed and held him out at arm's length. "I can see that life's going to be very interesting with you around, little prince!"

The words brought back the memory of his first encounter with Laufey and the next thing he knew, the breath in his chest hitched and his throat closed. Tears stung his eyes and all the fight went out of him. He was far from his home on Jotunheim, even farther from his home on Asgard, and he had never felt so alone in his life.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Happy Holidays to all my readers, whatever you celebrate or don't celebrate. Here's a gift anyway. Enjoy!

Chapter 14

Loki had to give his kidnappers credit. They were taking very good care of him. During the whole trip they'd gone to great lengths to make sure he was comfortable. As soon as they'd mounted up that morning Arust had wrapped him in a cloak and placed soft felt mittens on his hands so he'd be able to stay warm. They offered him plenty of bread and water during the day to make sure he wasn't hungry since he couldn't eat the other provisions they'd brought with them, and every hour or so they would stop so he could get down from the saddle and walk around to stretch his legs. They were also very, very careful to watch over him and keep an eye on him to make sure he was safe and consequently, unable to become lost or slip away.

Oh, how he hated them.

It was unbearable that they were taking him somewhere and he really couldn't do anything about it. The first time his feet were on the ground that morning he tried to run, but their legs were a lot longer than his and they were able to catch him easily. The second time he ran, Maral just sighed and grabbed the back of his cloak to snatch him off his feet. The third time, Arust put his foot down and threatened to tie Loki up if he ran again. Since he didn't dare put himself in that position (what if a chance to really get away came his way and he was unable to take it?), he hadn't tried running again, but the temptation was agonizing.

What he really loathed was how _nice_ they were. They were so kind to him all the time that he started to feel unreasonable at being upset they had kidnapped him, which was disturbing in so many ways. They were always checking to make sure he was warm enough, making sure that he wasn't hungry or thirsty, and making sure that he had plenty of time out of the saddle stretch his sore legs and hips. While they were traveling, they told stories to keep him amused or pointed out local sights, almost as if they were giving him a tour of the countryside. What he saw was interesting and he would have loved if Laufey and Farbauti could have been the ones to show him the stone forest (rocks shaped like trees!) or the free-standing stone arches that covered several miles (what insane geologic process had caused that particular formation?) or the lake shaped like a star with such clear water that he was able to see the lake bed close to a hundred feet down. He was interested at seeing all this but at the same time he was angry that his Jotun family weren't the ones to show it to him!

They did have one scare that made him yearn so strongly for home that he pitched a fit. The wind had been blowing to the left and a mountaincat scented their veho and prowled so closely to them that if Loki had been on the ground, he could have reached out and stroked the cat's fur. He hadn't been able to get a proper look at the one that had stalked him the evening he was lost, but now he could see-in horrific, bone-chilling detail-the brindled, coarse fur, the unsheathed claws, and the snarling mouth full of fangs and dripping with saliva. With it crouched in the tall grass, none of the men saw it and since the wind was in the wrong direction, none of the veho realized it was there. It was a predator and they were prey and every survival instinct Loki had kicked in once his mind processed the danger he was in.

He screamed and pointed at it and kept screaming so they would know how much danger they were in. They put it together quickly when the veho spooked and the mountaincat snarled and charged at the veho that he and Talo were mounted on. The wretched beast bolted and nearly spilled them both out of the saddle. Loki grabbed two handfuls of mane and held on for dear, sweet, glorious life and started praying to _all_ benevolent beings in the universe that they evade the creature that wanted to eat them.

Pierce whistles sounded behind them and the cat yowled in pain and a moment later the yowl was cut short. Talo brought the veho under control and turned back the way they had come and Loki had just enough time to see the gutted cat before he leaned over and was sick. The smell of the dead animal was bad enough but seeing its insides _out_ was too much to be borne.

" _Haaaaah! Haaaaah ahhh haaaaaaahhh haaaaaaah ahh haaaahahhhhhahhhhaaaaaah!"_

Talo looked at him, uncertain. "Something the matter, lad?"

For an answer, he gave another scream that startled the veho so badly that Talo had to dismount to calm it. Glaring at his captors, Loki dropped from the saddle and stalked into the scrub just far enough away that he couldn't see the mountaincat corpse. Once there, he crouched down and wrapped his arms around his knees, struggling to keep himself under control. He lost the battle quickly and started screaming his frustration at his predicament.

He heard the veho snort in surprise and heard the crunch of the grass as they danced in agitation, but he didn't care. He was through caring! He'd had more than enough of his captors, of traveling, of being away from home, and even the stupid veho! He kept screaming and when that didn't seem to be enough to relieve how he was feeling, he surged to his feet and started storming around and ripping up scrub, screaming so loudly that his throat hurt.

"Arust, I think there's something wrong," Loki heard Maral state.

"I think you're right," Arust answered. "Hold the reins, would you?"

Loki turned around in time to see Arust approach him, and something else in Loki broke. All he could feel was rage. He wanted to _slaughter_ this man the same way they'd slaughtered the cat! He took another breath and started screaming again, hurling the torn-up scrub, stones, and clods of dirt at Arust as much as he could. Once Arust was within striking distance Loki launched himself at him, fists flying.

He got two good blows in and had managed to split Arust's lip and black his eye before Arust wrapped his cloak around Loki and pinned him. "Easy, lad," Arust said quietly under Loki's roaring. "Easy. Take a deep breath for me. Try to breathe."

Loki took a deep breath only to keep screaming. He writhed in Arust's grip, kicked, and tried to bite through the man's gauntlet before he wound down. Then, he was weeping, which surprised the hell out of him. How could he cry when he was still so ANGRY?!

Arust didn't move and didn't speak, but he did tighten his arms around Loki, holding him securely. In time, the steady pressure calmed him and he could feel his body relax, but the tears didn't stop. If anything, they got worse just because he was relaxed enough to really let them loose. He shook and sobbed and his breath kept hitching in his chest and he doubted if he would ever be able to stop.

"You're all right now," Arust said, giving his shoulders a squeeze.

 _I'm NOT all right,_ Loki thought savagely, glaring at Arust. _I'm being comforted by one of my kidnappers and I'm out here in the middle of nowhere going who-knows-where to who-knows-what and I'm being stalked by horror-cats that get MURDERED!_ He gave a half-hearted punch to Arust's chest and tried to swallow back another wave of tears. That cat would most likely have eaten him if it could have, but that didn't mean that it deserved to be...eviscerated like that. These men were monstrously unfair, murdering animals and kidnapping people and taking them somewhere against their wills.

"After all that crying, you're bound to be thirsty," Arust said, scooping him up and carrying him back toward the other men. The corpse of the cat had been skinned and the offal buried and the meat staked out for the scavengers that were sure to come. Dakan walked up and handed Loki a handkerchief so he could clean himself up and a cup was put into his hands. He took a sip and tasted cider before he remembered just how he'd gotten into this situation. Using all the pent-up fury in his frame, he pitched the cup at Dakan's head. "HAAAAAHAHHHHAHHHHHH!"

"I think that just made it worse, Dakan," Arust said with chagrin.

"Did he swallow any of it?" Dakan wanted to know. "It'll help him calm down if he did."

He had. It wasn't even half a sip and he'd stopped drinking as soon as the taste hit him, but the tiny bit he'd swallowed made him burn with indignation. He should have been more suspicious. He should have used his head, but no, one little upset and he was helpless. He was less than proud of himself at the moment and he _hated_ everyone around him.

"He's awful pale. Should he be shaking like that?" Dakan said after a moment.

Loki looked. He _was_ shaking. His hands were trembling and it felt as if his whole body were trying to quake itself to bits. What was wrong with him?

"Just shock," Arust stated, rummaging in the vehos' saddlebags. "He's had a bad scare and a lot of emotion in a short time, so it was bound to hit him. He'll be all right once he calms down."

Loki seriously doubted it. He felt as if his body and his mind were going to shake themselves to pieces.

Arust took over then. He wrapped Loki tightly in a blanket and before Loki could more than open his mouth to protest, unwrapped and slipped a piece of something sweet into Loki's mouth. Whatever it was immediately started melting and Loki had to chew it in order to get rid of it. It tasted a bit like the sweet cheese and fruit desserts Aldis served at his stall. It was good!

"Sugar helps when you have the shakes," Arust said, guiding Loki back toward Talo and the veho. "If you want more, just hold out your hand and Talo will give you some."

Loki gave a sniff. He wasn't about to ask for more. He could tell that they were hoping he would do that, so he wasn't going to. With Arust's help he mounted in front of Talo and shortly they were underway again. He could feel himself relaxing-probably from that damned cider!-and he leaned back against Talo. His limbs felt heavy and his mind was starting to drift a bit. Blast.

* * *

The mellow tone of a horn woke him, and he sat up in the saddle, blinking gritty eyes. Confused, he turned his head to look at Talo. Where had that come from?

"That's Arust letting people know we're home," Talo told him. "You'll be able to see in a minute."

Loki turned to face forward again and sure enough, he could see torches appearing among the rocks up ahead. They'd gone from the foothills to true mountains now, and all of the lights were on the mountain face above. There was just enough light that he could pick out shadowy forms of people, but not enough so that he could see how many they were or whether they were men or women.

As one, the men with Loki raised their fists and shouted and the figures up on the mountain did the same. Loki winced as the sound reverberated off the mountains around them, but no one noticed or seemed to care. Perhaps there was no chance of avalanche or rock slides in this place, but he would really prefer not to take chances like that.

Once their cries had died away, Arust and the other men headed toward the foot of the nearest rock face, but Loki could not tell where they were going. There was nothing but blank rock ahead of them, wasn't there? That thought had just crossed his mind when Arust and Dakan, who were both riding ahead of him and Talo, disappeared. _What…?_

He didn't see it until the absolute last minute. Talo rode around a large piece of scrub and angled their mount against the rock face and there was an opening. Looking at it was rather like looking down a long tunnel at a dim light. Then, there were stone walls on either side of him and they emerged into a larger space, lit with glowing lanterns on the walls and scented with straw and veho. Loki sat up further and looked around. He had no idea just what had happened, but one moment they were outside and the next they were inside, but he couldn't see a door leading back outside. Where had the opening or doorway gone?

"Let's get these beasts settled and then we'll get you settled, hey, lad?" Talo asked, clapping Loki on the shoulder chummily.

Loki shrugged off the touch and slid down from the saddle. A kidnapper shouldn't be so friendly.

Arust and his men untacked, groomed, and watered the veho once they were in their stalls. Dakan came over with a bucket of grain and a scoop and handed both to Loki. "Give us a hand, lad, and we'll be done that much faster. Put two scoops into each bin, all right?" The grain had the same sweet smell as the grain they fed the horses back on Asgard and veho back at the palace. For a moment he was overcome with homesickness, but he pushed it aside and got on with his task. Once they thought he was settled, he could start trying to find ways to slip away.

As soon as he'd finished scooping out grain he was put to untangling the bridles and hanging them in the tack room while the men cared for the saddles and saddle blankets. Once he'd hung the last blanket he was ushered to the far end of the stable, through a door, and into a passage. There was a large fountain there with water streaming into a basin from taps shaped like vehos' heads. The men all held their hands under the taps, picked up soap flakes from a dish set in the wall, and started washing their faces and hands. Loki followed suit and dried off with a towel when it was handed to him.

He forgot and asked a question, even though the question had to do with why he couldn't speak. "Hhaaahahhhaaaaahhhah?"

Arust took the towel from him and hung it up. "This way, lad. Don't worry, it'll be soon."

Loki wasn't sure if that should be reassuring or not, but he followed Arust up the passageway with the rest of the men following. Up that passage, down another to the left, and they exited into a very large space well-lit with torches and lanterns. It was like the great hall back at the palace with a high ceiling, long tables with benches, and it was packed with people who started murmuring as soon as they saw Loki. At the far end of the room, there was a dais with two thrones. Sitting in one of the thrones was a formidable-looking woman dressed in black fur, who rose and smiled as they approached. "Welcome back, my friends. I see you were successful. Well done!"

Arust put a hand on Loki's back and propelled him forward. "Here he is, safe and sound. We had to stop his tongue to keep him from using his magic, but things went well, regardless."

She stepped down off the dais and came to kneel down in front of Loki so she could look him in the eye. "Welcome, little prince. I am the chieftain of this clan. My name is Amaira, and we are very glad to have you with us."

Loki gave her a cold look. _He_ wasn't glad in the least.

"He needs the antidote before he can answer you, love," Arust reminded her.

She smiled. "Of course." She opened a pouch she wore at her side and pulled out a small bottle and uncorked it. "Open your mouth, please, child."

Loki gave the bottle a suspicious look. Everything he'd had from these people had either tasted awful or was drugged. Was it worth whatever would happen to gain back his voice?

"We didn't bring you all the way here just to poison you," Amaira said after a moment. "This just has to touch your tongue."

He held his hand out. He wasn't about to let her treat him like a child. If he could do it for himself, he would.

"It's very bitter," she warned him, placing the bottle in his hand. "Just one drop will be enough."

Great. Steeling himself, he opened his mouth as wide as he could, slipped the bottle inside, and tilted it cautiously. He felt the drop hit his tongue and then he was gagging. " _Aaaaaack!_ What do you people put in these things that make them taste so _awful_?!" The words slipped out before he even thought about them. Relief swept over him as he realized he could speak. "Oh, thank goodness. That's much better."

She grinned. "I'm glad. As I was saying, welcome. We're glad you're here."

"I'm not," Loki said flatly. "Do you make a habit of kidnapping people?"

She gave him another smile, but this one was less warm. "When needed, and we needed a lalta. Aside from that wily old woman, you're the only one on Jotunheim, so you'll do nicely."

Loki heard the sounds of a table being set behind him and smelled something savory just as his backbone was throttled by his very unhappy stomach. Sternly he told it to behave itself. "What do you need a lalta for?"

"For the blessings of the Great Ones."

It was just as Ahna had said. Fabulous. "I'm not staying here."

A chuckle and then he was swept of his feet into her arms. "You say that now, but once you've settled in you won't want to leave," she said, cuddling him. "We're going to take very good care of you and you'll be happy with us."

Loki froze. Her chest-her very _large_ chest-was now pressed up against his and he had _no_ idea where to put his hands. "Put me _down_!"

She gave another chuckle and placed him on his feet. "There. Better?"

He was getting a bit tired of the way she was speaking to him. She was speaking to him as if he were a child! "Don't pick me up so easily. I only allow my family to do that."

The smile she gave him this time chilled him. "But we _are_ your family now."

Loki rolled his eyes before he could stop himself. "Don't think I'm so stupid as to accept that. You're not my family, you're my kidnappers. That's all you are and all you'll ever be."

"That's a very nice little speech," Amaira said, her tone becoming a shade more serious. "Time will tell. For the time being, if you don't want to think of yourself as one of our children, think of yourself as our guest. We'll show you every hospitality we have to offer. All right?"

Loki shrugged. He didn't care if it wasn't the gesture of a gracious guest; he was tired and hungry and thoroughly fed up. He swallowed and gagged again at the taste the antidote had left behind.

"We can remedy that discomfort if you're willing," Amaira offered. "Are you hungry?"

"If he's not, he should be. The rations we had were too seasoned for him, so he's been eating nothing but bread and drinking water," Dakan stated.

Loki fought down the urge to kick him. "I can't help it if you put so much spice into your food that it dissolves flesh."

He hadn't meant to be amusing, but they laughed and led him to the table. It had been set for him and Arust and his men. He took a seat and watched as they dished up a bowl of soup and sliced bread for him. The soup was lightly-colored, filled with vegetables, meat, and thick noodles. Gingerly, he picked up his spoon and stirred it. "How do I know this isn't drugged?"

The question made everyone look at him. He sighed. "You drugged my cider at the temple and on the way here. I was drugged once to take my speech away and drugged again to give it back. Is this what I can expect?"

"You were only drugged so we could get you here," Arust hastened to tell him, realizing just what sort of trouble his actions had started. "You're here now, so we don't need to drug you anymore."

Loki folded his arms and looked away from Arust. "I can't even know if you're telling the truth." He made his voice sound small and frightened and his inner self rejoiced to see them all exchanging panicked looks.

After a moment, Dakan spoke up. "We're all being served from the same pot, lad."

"The drug could be in my bowl."

Amaira picked up her spoon and dipped it into Loki's bowl. She swallowed the spoonful without a qualm. "There. We can wait to see if I'll get sleepy, but the food will get cold if we do." So saying, she tore a slice of bread into quarters and dipped one of them into her bowl to soak up the broth.

Loki gave in and dipped up a spoonful. If this was spicy, he was going to catapult his bowl across the room...the taste hit him and he couldn't stop the smile that spread over his face. It wasn't spicy at all, but savory and good. Mmmmmmm. He took the next spoonful with more enthusiasm and dug into his bread, which was still warm from the oven. He took the mug that Maral handed him and was relieved to find it only contained water. He ate slowly so he wouldn't make himself sick and finished off the food feeling much better.

"If you have any more room, would you like dessert?"

Dessert? "What is it?"

"Spice cake."

"Will it burn my mouth?"

"Not at all. It's likely that you've had it before." So saying, she placed a saucer holding a piece of the cake in front of him and before he could question it, she pinched off a small piece and ate it. "See? Enjoy."

Loki got a morsel of the cake onto his spoon and tried it. It was just like the cake he'd had at the palace! Looked like the recipe was a universal one. He finished his cake, took a final sip of water, and felt much better. Odd, wasn't it, how much a good meal could do for your outlook? "So, what now?"

Amaira set aside her mug. "You look as if you could do with a good wash and a rest. You must be wanting a bath by now after several days of traveling."

Loki wondered if that was the politest way she knew to tell him that he wasn't smelling his freshest. Whose fault was it that he hadn't had a bath? "That would be welcome."

"Good. Arust, you and your men have done well. Please see to it that Loki finds the bath and the bed that he deserves." She rose from the table and smoothed Loki's hair before he could jerk away from her. "You and I will talk in the morning. Sleep well."

Loki watched as she left, his mind working furiously. There was something here he wasn't seeing.

"This way," Arust said, getting to his feet. "I'm surprised your clothes haven't tried to walk away from you."

"And your clothes have given up and accepted an odiferous death," Loki snapped. "You were in such an all-fired hurry to get here that we couldn't even take time to wash more than our hands and faces, so the fact that you're expecting my clothes to walk away is entirely your fault."

Dakan started snickering under his breath. "He's got you there, little rose garden."

"All right, all right, let's go wash," Arust huffed.

Again they led the way and Loki followed. What he wanted to do was turn on his heel, return to the stable to steal a veho and then gallop out of that wretched mountain, but riding off into the wilds was sheer suicide. No, he needed sleep almost more than he needed a wash. Escaping would have to wait until morning, at the least.

Arust led them all down corridors and across halls until the passageways became less cavernous. He turned right down a smaller passage and into a room thick with steam. Against one wall was a set of hampers and on a shelf above them were folded towels.

"Go ahead and undress and put your clothes in a hamper," Arust instructed Loki, unfastening his own cloak. "They'll be taken out later and washed for you. Once you're undressed, put a towel around yourself and we'll show you what to do next."

Loki tried very hard not to _see_ anything. "I usually wash by myself."

"Here we wash together. It's not like you have anything we've not seen before, lad," Maral said, stripping off his shirt and toeing off his boots.

"It's not a matter of you seeing me, it's just that I don't want to see anything of anyone."

"I can understand that," Talo said, unfastening his trousers. "You might be intimidated."

Loki glared at him. Next he could expect a crack about size, but two could play at that game. He looked the now bare Talo up and down and shook his head as if he were sorry about something truly unfortunate. "Somehow, I doubt it."

Talo looked ready to smack him. "Maybe we shouldn't have given him that antidote."

Silently congratulating himself in scoring a point, Loki undressed and wrapped himself in a towel. "I'd better get my clothes back." He turned around to find them all staring at him. "What is it?"

"By the Great Ones, you're so skinny!" Arust burst out. "Didn't anyone ever _feed_ you?!"

"I'm a lalta," Loki reminded him. "I'm a lot smaller than a regular Jotun, remember?"

"Still, there are limits!"

"And I'm reaching mine," Loki said, reaching for as much patience as he could muster. "Are we going to wash or stand around evaluating each others' physiques?"

Arust huffed again and lifted a curtain. A billow of steam poured out and Loki followed it into the room beyond. There, they sat Loki down on a stool and showed him what to do. He poured a few buckets of hot water over himself, soaped up a washcloth and scrubbed himself. Once he'd done that they handed him a knotted bit of cloth that was a bit rougher and told him to scrub that over his skin. While he was doing that one of the men soaped his hair for him so he could scrub his fingers through it, and then three buckets of water were poured over him, rinsing everything off. It was pretty refreshing.

"Now we soak for a few minutes," Maral sighed blissfully. "I've been looking forward to this for days." Maral showed Loki the huge sunken tub that was full of steaming water.

As soon as Loki settled into the water, he had to admit that this way of bathing had a great deal to recommend it. It felt wonderful.

He was half-asleep when Dakan shook him. "Time to get out, lad. You don't want to drown."

Loki had to haul himself out of the water and even then he needed a little help to get to his feet. He felt as limp as a wet string and gave up the cause after only a few seconds and curled up on the floor, ready to call it a night. It was nice and warm in there and he was tired, tired, tired.

"You can't sleep on the bathroom floor," Arust said, picking Loki up.

"Yes, I can, you just have to leave me there," Loki pointed out.

Things got a little hazy then. He saw plenty of towels around him as they dried him off and wrapped him in a cream-colored nightshirt and pants. They were wonderfully soft and felt like a caress to his tired body. Someone was carrying him. It couldn't be Odin-no, it had to Laufey. That was right. Laufey was probably putting him to bed. Why was it taking so long?

He glimpsed more corridors, a staircase, a large room, and then a smaller room with that most blissful of objects, a bed. He felt the sheets reach up and embrace him and he let his eyes close. In the morning...in the morning...there was something important about the morning, but at the moment he couldn't remember what it was.


End file.
